Staande vrouw 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a standing woman with a dry medium, possibly graphite. It's all about gesture, isn't it? He’s feeling his way around the form, not trying to capture it perfectly. Look at the wispy lines, the sketchy quality. It feels like he’s figuring it out as he goes, embracing the process. The way the shading is built up, almost like a cloud, gives the figure a sense of weight without defining it too much. It’s like he’s letting the drawing breathe, allowing for ambiguity and openness. This reminds me a little of Degas, the way he captured fleeting moments and figures in motion. But Israels has his own voice, a kind of quiet confidence in the incomplete, in the beauty of the sketch. It's a reminder that art isn't always about perfection, but about the journey of seeing and feeling.