Staande vrouw 1875 - 1934

Curator: Here at the Rijksmuseum, we have a captivating sketch titled "Standing Woman," attributed to Isaac Israels, created sometime between 1875 and 1934. Editor: It feels immediate, almost unfinished. The woman’s form is suggested rather than defined, a quick notation in pencil. Is it meant to be seen so openly, a glimpse into the artist's process? Curator: The dynamism stems from its very construction. We can see Israels grappling with form, the repetition of lines creating a sense of movement. The lack of detail allows us to focus on the essential gesture, the weight and posture of the figure. Note how the diagonal hatching suggests a shadowed ground plane, pushing the figure forward. Editor: The visible page of the sketchbook invites thoughts about labor, about how artists repeatedly capture and discard impressions. Israels could’ve worked from a live model, yet the end result is abstract and ambiguous, transforming mundane studio activities to artistic inspiration. How many versions did he create before feeling one was adequate? Curator: Interesting point. The very raw immediacy of line invites speculation regarding process: does the apparent lack of finish suggest that Israels sought to valorize a mode of artistic making seemingly divorced from material intention? Or is it rather an experimentation, intended to explore and then discard ideas of the material female form? Editor: I suspect it is an authentic trace of his lived labor; a page in the everyday business of making art where both successful results, and beautiful accidents could occur. Perhaps it’s precisely this accidental nature that we, as viewers, find compelling. It lays bare the activity. Curator: Ultimately, what captures my eye is how this sketch epitomizes the Impressionist approach to form: more felt than fully resolved. Editor: And for me, it reveals not just a fleeting moment, but the material circumstances that enabled its creation. It reminds us that art is work.