Vrouw op een terras 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing with graphite. It is a flurry of marks, a sketch that captures a woman on a terrace. I’m thinking about the artist, quickly trying to capture the impression of this woman. A hat obscures her face, and the loose, almost scribbled lines give the sense of a fleeting moment. Look at the confidence of the marks; see how some of the lines are darker, suggesting a shadow. Drawing is all about trying to see, trying to work out how to represent what’s in front of you. It’s about the physicality of mark-making, and the energy of the hand. The artist teases out the subtle nuances of tone and texture, transforming a blank surface into an evocative scene. You can see the influence of impressionism, which favored spontaneous, open compositions. It's about the spirit of observation.