Koppen van een meisje en vrouw 1834 - 1911

Jozef Israëls created this drawing of a girl and woman’s heads with graphite on paper. Graphite, derived from the earth, allows for creating a range of light and dark tones through varied pressure. It’s a relatively direct medium; the artist’s hand is immediately evident in the marks left on the page. The material qualities of graphite—its smoothness and capacity for blending—enable Israëls to achieve soft, subtle gradations, especially visible in the figures’ faces. Notice the slight variations in shading, indicating the light gently illuminating their features. The artist’s choices reflect his deep engagement with the subject, capturing a sense of intimacy and careful observation. Israëls wasn’t interested in the slick techniques of academic painting, but rather in a close and personal form of seeing. By focusing on the everyday, he asks us to reconsider what’s really worth looking at.