Vrouwenhoofd, in profiel c. 1886 - 1903

Editor: This is "Vrouwenhoofd, in profiel," or "Head of a Woman, in Profile," a charcoal drawing by Isaac Israels from around 1886 to 1903. It's housed here at the Rijksmuseum. The simplicity of the line work is striking; what feelings or ideas does it evoke in you? Curator: It's a study in fleeting observation. Charcoal, with its powdery softness, allows for an image to be captured quickly, impressions noted, and then potentially revised or left as is, bearing the marks of the process itself. Consider the pose: the upward tilt, the way light would catch the underside of the chin. What does that say to you about her social world and internal world? Editor: It makes me think she is lost in thought or dreaming, a world of private moments, which gives the portrait a sentimental tone. The upward gaze perhaps suggests some higher plane? Curator: Precisely. And Israels’ decision to leave parts of the drawing unfinished, fading into the blank paper, acts as a symbolic link between reality and potential, seen and unseen. The bare background can symbolize isolation, and the bold hatching defines shape, yes, but also a moment of introspection that has strong connections to Symbolist art, as if we are seeing her aura. Editor: That's fascinating. So, it is a portrait of someone specific and a portrait of the inner self, of consciousness itself? It sounds as though there is more to this quick sketch than one would imagine upon first glance. Curator: Absolutely. These quick impressions often speak volumes about not only the subject, but also the society they were circulating within at a given moment. Editor: I will certainly keep an eye out for Symbolist references going forward! Thanks so much for pointing this out.