Staande vrouw, in profiel 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this Standing Woman, in Profile, using graphite on paper. You can see it here at the Rijksmuseum. The real charm of this piece lies in its simplicity. It’s a sketch, raw and immediate. Israels isn't trying to hide anything; the process is right there on the surface. I love that! The lines are tentative, searching, not quite committing. It's as if he’s thinking through the form as he draws, and it’s this searching that makes the piece so alive. Look closely, and you’ll see the smudges and faint erasures, a ghost of the artist’s hand at work. This layering of marks creates a texture, a history of decisions made and unmade. The figure emerges from this haze, this buildup of graphite dust, and there’s a delicacy to it, a sense of fleeting presence. It’s like catching a glimpse of someone out of the corner of your eye. There’s a sketchiness to it that reminds me a little of Manet. It’s not about perfection; it’s about capturing a moment, an impression. And in that, there’s a real beauty.