Staande vrouw met gekanteld hoofd 1875 - 1934

This sketch of a standing woman with her head tilted was made by Isaac Israels sometime in his life with pencil on paper. Looking at the delicate lines, I can almost feel Israels standing there, quickly capturing the essence of his subject. There's a real sense of immediacy in the way he’s rendered her tilted head and thoughtful gaze. I wonder what she was thinking at that moment? The simplicity of the drawing allows the viewer to really focus on the woman's posture and expression. It reminds me that sometimes the most powerful art can be found in the simplest of gestures. It shows us something about mark-making and how much can be conveyed with so little. It is a bit like when I am working in my studio; that search to find a language that manages to capture the essence of things with a few, well-chosen marks. It’s a conversation that artists have been having for centuries.