Hoofd van een meisje, driekwart naar rechts 1834 - 1911

This is Head of a Girl, a pencil drawing by Jozef Israëls, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. Israëls’ choice of pencil is significant. It's a readily available and relatively inexpensive material, making art accessible to a broader audience, reflecting a shift away from more costly, traditional methods. The artist's process is laid bare; each stroke and erasure visible. This immediacy invites us to consider the labor involved in creating the artwork. The density of the shading around her face, and the neck of the sitter, are remarkable. It gives an almost sculptural three-dimensionality to the image, the lines of the pencil almost having the quality of cross-hatching in an engraving. Israëls’ technique emphasizes the value of the working class. By using humble materials to depict a simple subject, he elevates the everyday, challenging traditional hierarchies within art. The drawing embodies democratic ideals. It is a celebration of the ordinary, and an appreciation for the beauty found in the lives of common people.