Vrouwenhoofden en een lezend vrouwelijk naakt 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing with graphite, of women’s heads and a reading female nude, we’re not sure exactly when. Isn’t it interesting how process becomes part of the story? I love how the artist captures the immediacy of the moment; it feels like a quick sketch, but so full of life and energy. The lines are delicate, almost tentative, yet they build up to create a sense of form and depth. Look at the way he uses hatching and cross-hatching to create shadows on the woman's body, it gives her weight, but also suggests a kind of vulnerability. It's like we're catching a glimpse of her in a private moment, lost in her book. And then there are the other heads floating around her, disembodied, almost like thoughts or dreams. They add another layer of complexity to the image, suggesting the inner world of the artist, or maybe even the woman herself. I'm reminded of Degas and his studies of dancers, that same sense of fleeting beauty and the artist's hand at work. It’s like a conversation, and it's up to us to join in.