Twee vrouwen, in profiel 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels created this pencil drawing, titled "Twee vrouwen, in profiel," which translates to "Two Women, in Profile," now held in the Rijksmuseum collection. The composition shows two figures laid one above the other and drawn in profile. The lines are lightly sketched, giving a sense of immediacy and capturing the essence of the figures, rather than precise details. There is a clear effort to capture the interplay between positive and negative space. The pencil work itself invites us to consider the unfinished, almost provisional nature of representation. Israels here seems interested in the act of seeing and recording impressions. This approach reflects broader artistic concerns of his time, where artists like Israels moved away from traditional academic styles to capture fleeting moments and subjective experiences. The drawing prompts us to consider how simple lines can destabilize conventional representation. It leaves space for our own interpretation.