Twee vrouwen naast elkaar 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of two women next to each other with a pencil and a sketchbook. It’s all quick, darting lines, like he was trying to catch a fleeting moment. I can imagine Israels in a busy cafe, quickly sketching these women before they moved on. What were they talking about? Did they notice him drawing them? There’s a real intimacy here, like he’s trying to capture their essence with just a few strokes. He is almost looking at the back of their heads! You know? The bare minimum you need to get the thing across, like a haiku. It’s economical and direct. Israels was part of a whole gang of artists who were interested in modern life, and you can see that here. It’s like he’s saying, “This is what it feels like to be alive right now.” And that feeling, that sense of immediacy, still speaks to us today. Like all of painting it is speaking, to us. It's whispering.