Vrouw, in profiel 1875 - 1934

Curator: This intriguing drawing, dating from between 1875 and 1934, is titled "Vrouw, in profiel," or "Woman, in profile," by Isaac Israels, currently held in the Rijksmuseum collection. My immediate impression is of intimacy and transience. Editor: Yes, it possesses that quality. The rough pencil work conveys a sense of immediacy, almost as if Israels captured a fleeting moment. You see how the stark white of the page itself is completely unveiled in a visual tension of being finished versus unrefined. Curator: Exactly. Considering the time frame, the industrialization and mass production of readily available drawing materials certainly influenced this accessibility to the medium. How do you see that informing its reception and iconography, or the woman it portrays? Editor: Well, if we think about profile portraits historically, they are often associated with power, status, like we see on coins or official portraits. Here, however, the woman's averted gaze and the unfinished nature suggest a more private, perhaps even vulnerable portrayal. Perhaps she embodies a New Woman type? Curator: Fascinating! And it’s hard not to notice the way Israels renders the woman’s attire. Note how the broad strokes form her sleeves and garment are cross-hatched, which speaks volumes about the artistic labour itself. Do you agree that the visible evidence of the artist's hand is significant here? Editor: I think it really directs us to the temporality, the modern subject painted *alla prima*. I keep circling back to how, at the time, quick, readily produced pencil sketches offered a more democratic art form compared to formal oil paintings—cheaper materials meant accessibility, right? Curator: Absolutely! That makes the psychological nuances accessible through her expression and the rapid method used even more noteworthy. Her body seems relaxed, comfortable, and the quick strokes really animate the page. Editor: A small thing that fascinates me – the visible corner marks suggest a sketchbook origin; they frame the image almost as memories, of the artist, of the sitter herself! What was initially a commonplace study can move the attentive viewer so meaningfully, so much later. Curator: Indeed. It truly reminds us of the complex interplay between subject, object, and the means by which it came to be, leaving us with much to consider. Editor: And perhaps inspiring us to seek out our own quiet moments of observation and reflection, too.