Gezicht, in profiel 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing, Gezicht, in profiel, at an unknown date with sketchy dark lines. He has captured two heads, one slightly in front of the other, or maybe it is one head, seen at two moments in time? I can just imagine Israels in the studio, trying to get down the essence of a face, not bothering with the details, just the bare minimum. The lines are so economical, like he's trying to capture a fleeting thought. You get the feeling he’s after something more than just likeness, maybe the feeling of being human, the way we turn our heads, look away, think. I feel like I have been there myself in the studio, trying to capture the way a face looks like a feeling. This reminds me of other artists like Degas, Lautrec, Bonnard, Vuillard, who were also interested in capturing scenes from modern life. They also inspire my own practice. We're all just trying to figure out what it means to be alive, one brushstroke at a time.