Liggende vrouw 1875 - 1934

Editor: Here we have Isaac Israels' "Liggende Vrouw," created sometime between 1875 and 1934. It's a drawing in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, and looking at the charcoal strokes, you really get a sense of the artist working, almost as though you're peering into his sketchbook. What can you tell me about it? Curator: I'm drawn to consider the raw materials and labor involved in producing this drawing. Israels has chosen charcoal and paper, inexpensive and readily available materials, but that belies a decision. Think of the industrial revolution, and its impact on the accessibility of such materials. This brings art-making closer to the realm of the everyday. Does this elevation of a readily available method give rise to the subject matter's intimacy and vulnerability, perhaps? Editor: That’s a great point. The sketch-like quality, the visible strokes... it does feel very personal. Curator: Exactly. Israels isn't just depicting a "reclining woman;" he's showing us his process, his thinking, even. The labor is laid bare in those charcoal lines, moving it from "high art" to an examination of the conditions of artistic creation. How does that affect your interpretation of the figure herself? Editor: It almost democratizes her, if that makes sense. She's not a distant goddess or a queen, but simply a body, made visible through Israels' labor and choice of common materials. The charcoal brings an immediate, almost primal feel. Curator: Precisely! Consider then, the marketplace into which such sketches were traded and consumed. Were they, in their making and consumption, part of the construction of artistic celebrity and mythmaking? Editor: Wow, I hadn't thought about that! I’m walking away questioning the line between personal exploration and the commodification of artistic process. Curator: Excellent. By looking at material and process, we move past a simple interpretation of a nude figure and examine broader cultural forces.