Vrouwenhoofd 1875 - 1934

This drawing, 'Vrouwenhoofd,' was made by Isaac Israels and lives at the Rijksmuseum. Look at how Israels lets the pencil line wander, almost scribbling out the woman's face. It's like he's thinking through the drawing, letting us see the process. The paper here is raw, almost like he was sketching in a notebook, and the pencil is tentative. It's a study in seeing. Take, for example, the lines that form the eye. They're not perfect, but they capture the gaze. There is something so tender about this, as if the artist is trying to grasp the essence of the model. It reminds me of some of Degas's quick figure drawings, that sense of immediacy and capturing a fleeting moment. Like Degas, Israels is less interested in perfection and more in the lively, awkward, and human. It’s a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation.