Vrouw met hoofddeksel, mogelijk een revuedanseres c. 1915s - 1925s

Editor: Here we have Isaac Israels's sketch, "Woman with Headdress, possibly a Revue Dancer," sometime between 1915 and 1925. It’s pencil on paper, and held by the Rijksmuseum. It strikes me as so fleeting, so ephemeral. What do you see in this whisper of a drawing? Curator: Fleeting is perfect! It reminds me of catching a glimpse of someone remarkable out of the corner of my eye – a burst of charisma, quickly gone. Israels captures not the *being* of the dancer, but the *impression* of her, wouldn’t you agree? And notice how the pencil work itself seems to dance across the page. He’s not interested in precision, but in capturing the *energy* of the subject. Do you find it suggestive? Editor: Absolutely suggestive! It hints at something dazzling, flamboyant even, without showing us all the details. Why do you think he left so much to the imagination? Curator: Maybe he was inviting us to participate, to fill in the blanks with our own fantasies about this revue dancer! He gives us the raw energy, the feeling, and then trusts us to complete the story. Isn't that generous of him? It speaks volumes, doesn’t it, about the trust Israels had in the viewer, in *us*. Almost makes you want to grab a pencil and join him, doesn't it? Editor: I do! It's like he’s saying, “Here’s a moment, a feeling – now make it your own.” I'll look at sketches differently from now on. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! Remember art is feeling made visible. And this sketch...it practically vibrates with feeling.