Twee vrouwen c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this drawing of two women, with pencil on paper. And what you see is the art of reduction, the confidence in the hand to make every line count. Look at the economy of it all. Israels isn't trying to copy reality; he's trying to capture a feeling, an essence. The lines loop, skip, and dance. See how the lines suggest the form and volume of the women’s hair, without getting bogged down in detail. It’s like he's saying, "I see this, and with a few strokes, you can see it too." This reminds me a bit of Matisse's line drawings – that same effortless quality, where the line seems to breathe and move. And it shows you that art isn't about perfection; it's about gesture, and about the way you capture the spirit of a thing.