Staande vrouw met hoed c. 1886 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a standing woman with a hat on paper. The marks are so fast, like he was trying to catch a fleeting moment, a feeling, not just a figure. It’s like he’s saying, "Here, look at this world, but quick, before it changes." The texture of the paper is almost as important as the lines themselves. You can see the tooth of it, grabbing at the charcoal, making the lines feel a little broken, a little hesitant, full of life. It's thin and transparent. Look at the area around her skirt, those broad strokes that suggest volume and form. It’s like he’s sculpting with shadow, letting the paper breathe through the marks. It makes me think of Degas, his pastels capturing dancers in motion, or Toulouse-Lautrec, sketching the characters of the Parisian nightlife. Like them, Israels isn't just recording what he sees; he’s giving us a glimpse into his own way of seeing, his own process of thinking through line and form.