Portret van een onbekende vrouw met oorbellen c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this drawing of an unknown woman with earrings, and what I love about drawings is how immediate they feel, how close you are to the hand of the artist. Israels’ mark-making is so fluid, like he’s dancing with the pencil. It’s all line, really, but it’s the way he varies the pressure that gives it form and weight. Look at how the lines thicken and darken around her eyes, giving them depth, while the rest of the face is just hinted at. The hair, too, is a flurry of loops and curls, almost abstract in their energy. It’s not about capturing every detail, it’s about capturing a feeling, a mood. This drawing reminds me of Manet, especially his quick sketches of Parisian life. There’s the same sense of capturing a fleeting moment, an impression. Ultimately, art is an ongoing conversation, and it's more about the questions it raises than the answers it provides.