Drie vrouwen met een arm in de lucht 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of three women with an arm in the air with pencil on paper. I can almost feel Israels' hand moving as he quickly sketched these figures; it’s all about capturing a fleeting moment. There’s such an energy in these lines, scratching and looping, that it makes you wonder what he was thinking, what he was trying to catch. Was he trying to get the movement of the arm right? Or was he interested in the gesture and what it says about these women? When I look at this, I wonder whether to call it finished. It feels like a study, or maybe a notebook of thoughts, which is, you know, also how I think about a lot of painting. It’s not always about perfection, but about following a feeling. It’s how we talk to each other, me to you, you to the next artist.