Vrouwenhoofd 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing, ‘Vrouwenhoofd’, sometime between 1880 and 1934 with a graphite pencil. See how the artist captures the head in such a direct and unadorned way. It’s like he's thinking aloud with the pencil. The marks aren’t precious; they’re exploratory, immediate. I can imagine the artist’s hand moving quickly, trying to catch the essence of the figure before it disappears. Notice how the density of the marks around the hair contrasts with the lighter, more tentative lines describing the face. It reminds me of other drawings I've seen by artists like Paula Modersohn-Becker, who also had this incredible ability to convey so much with just a few lines. There's a real intimacy in that simplicity. You can feel the artist's presence, their gaze, and their way of seeing.