Vrouw die was van de lijn haalt, kippen, een muis en een geit c. 1855 - 1859

Editor: This drawing, “Vrouw die was van de lijn haalt, kippen, een muis en een geit” by Jozef Israëls, was made around 1855-1859 using pencil. It's currently at the Rijksmuseum. It strikes me as very fragmented and raw; a collection of sketches more than a finished piece. What do you make of it? Curator: I see it first as a study in form. Note the repetition of rounded shapes – the hen's bodies, the curve of the goat, the woman’s form. These are rendered through a masterful control of line. Consider how the varying pressure creates depth and dimension with only a minimum of strokes. Observe the structural framework of the composition: the distribution of figures across the page creates an internal rhythm. The figures on the upper register of the image do seem to echo the figures below it; a visual harmony. Don't you think? Editor: That's fascinating. I was initially drawn to the seemingly random arrangement, but you're right, there's a deliberate quality to how everything is placed. Are you saying the subject matter is less important than the technique itself? Curator: One might even suggest that the seeming randomness is a deliberate affectation designed to heighten our sensitivity to the inherent formal structure of the piece. To deny its arrangement. What’s interesting is to move past the subject, and look for what structures hold this all together. How does Israëls compel you to engage? Editor: It really does draw the eye around the page. It’s less a collection of individual drawings and more a cohesive study of form. Thanks for pointing that out, I will certainly consider visual organisation when viewing preliminary sketches.