Vrouw met hoed, op de rug gezien c. 1886 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a woman with a hat, seen from the back, using pencil and charcoal, capturing a fleeting moment. You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving swiftly across the paper, trying to capture the essence of the figure with a flurry of marks. The texture of the charcoal gives a certain depth, a kind of shadowy presence to the woman. I imagine Isaac Israels standing there, sketchbook in hand, trying to capture not just what she looks like, but what it feels like to see her, a figure in passing. Maybe he was drawn to the way the light caught the brim of her hat, or the way she carried herself with a certain grace. I wonder if he ever felt a sense of connection with his subjects, even in these brief encounters. It reminds me of Degas's dancers, observed from a distance, trying to capture the energy and movement of life itself. All artists in conversation.