Staande vrouw 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this sketch of a standing woman, on paper, we’re not sure exactly when. Look at how Israels builds up the figure with these scribbly, broken marks. It’s all about the process, you can feel the artist working through the form, figuring it out as he goes. The marks are so raw and immediate, they remind me of a Cy Twombly drawing, but with a touch more figuration. I love how the dark, dense scribbles around her head and shoulders contrast with the almost ghostly, unfinished quality of her lower body. It’s like she’s emerging from a cloud of graphite. Check out the way Israels uses these quick, looping lines to suggest movement and weight, it’s as if the woman is caught in a fleeting moment, about to step out of the frame. It’s loose, raw and alive – it's about the act of seeing and translating that vision onto paper.