Vrouwenbuste met hoofddeksel c. 1915s - 1925s

This is Isaac Israels' "Vrouwenbuste met hoofddeksel," a sketch done with what looks like a soft graphite pencil. I like to think of drawing as a kind of thinking, like a dance between the eye and the hand. Here, the surface feels raw, like we're catching a glimpse of the artist's thought process. Look at the way Israels uses these scribbly, almost hesitant lines to capture the woman’s form. It's not about getting every detail perfect, it's more about capturing a feeling, an essence. It's about seeing how the lines build up, how they create a sense of depth and volume. The lines around her head are particularly interesting, they suggest the idea of a headdress or a hat, but its form is never fully realised. It is like the artist is thinking through the image. It reminds me of some of Degas’ drawings, where he is trying to pin down the movement of a dancer. Israels' work reminds us that art is an ongoing conversation, an exploration of ideas that never really ends.