Drie figuren, mogelijk vrouwen 1921 - 1922

Isaac Israels made this drawing, 'Drie figuren, mogelijk vrouwen', with a humble pencil on paper, and there is something so simple yet profound in the artist's approach. The lines, like whispers, suggest the presence of these three figures; their forms emerging from a flurry of marks, like memories half-formed. I imagine Isaac, rapidly sketching, trying to capture the essence of his subjects – the way they move, stand, and interact. There is a sense of immediacy, a feeling that he is not just recording what he sees, but also responding to it in real time. The figures remind me of Degas’ dancers. Isaac seems to be searching for a way to express something about the human condition, about the fleeting nature of existence. And, for me, the beauty of the piece lies not in its completion, but in its open-endedness, inviting us to imagine the stories of these women, and to reflect on our own experiences of seeing and being seen.