Vrouw met hond aan een Amsterdamse gracht c. 1886 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a woman with a dog on an Amsterdam canal, probably in his sketchbook. The immediacy of the work, the speed of the marks, really communicates the act of drawing, the process. Israels is working with really basic materials here – pencil on paper – but he coaxes such nuance from them. Look at the varying pressure of the pencil, how he uses hatching to build up tone, creating depth and shadow. I love the little flurry of marks that suggest the dog, full of energy. And the quick lines that conjure the reflections in the water. For me, the real joy of a drawing like this is how it captures a fleeting moment. It's like a visual snapshot, not overly laboured, it suggests an easy, effortless image. Israels reminds me of Manet, another artist who was amazing at capturing everyday life with an economy of means. It's all about seeing and noticing, which is what drawing teaches us.