Vrouwenhoofd c. 1915s - 1925s

Editor: Here we have Isaac Israels' "Vrouwenhoofd," or "Head of a Woman," a pencil drawing from the 1915s to 1925s. The loose lines give it a feeling of fleeting movement. What do you make of it? Curator: Isn’t it funny how a few lines can conjure up a whole world? I feel the rush of capturing a momentary pose, like Israels just glimpsed her and had to sketch before the vision faded. The absence of strong lines speaks volumes – almost as if he were painting with the negative space. Does the subject remind you of anyone you might know? Editor: Not really anyone I *know,* but it has that look like portraits of Jazz Age flappers. Curator: Exactly! There is a "go lightly" feeling about this that matches perfectly to its moment in time, even to how the head seems to float there. I wonder what story lies just beyond the edge of the paper? Maybe she's a dancer waiting in the wings, or perhaps she's a lady one might pass in the street, with other places to go? It's less a portrait and more an invitation, don't you think? Editor: Yes, the incompleteness is actually quite inviting. The realism combines with the soft, flowing strokes to give it this lively quality, a sketch but somehow alive. It makes me think differently about the power of suggestion in art. Curator: Indeed. It dances right on that edge, doesn't it? Israels, through that light touch, compels us to complete the picture. The real art might be what *we* bring to it. Editor: Very true. This peek behind the curtain really enriched my appreciation for Israels' style. Thanks.