Reclining Female Nude 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this sketch of a reclining nude, we don't know exactly when or why. The wispy lines, like whispers, trace the contours of a body in repose. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving swiftly, trying to capture a fleeting impression. It’s a beautiful thing, this sort of drawing, so tentative and searching. I wonder what Israels was thinking as he worked? Was he trying to convey the weight of the body, or maybe just the softness of the skin? I think of other artists who have explored the nude—like Schiele with his jarring lines, or Matisse with his languid curves. Each artist brings their own sensibility to the act of seeing and representing the body. And we, as viewers, bring our own experiences and interpretations. Painting and drawing is nothing if not a conversation, an exchange of ideas and feelings across time.