Liggend vrouwelijk naakt met gesloten ogen c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels sketched this reclining nude with closed eyes in graphite, and the drawing feels like a fleeting thought. The artist has captured the immediacy of his vision, not through labored precision, but with the economy of line, the confidence of someone who understands the body. The texture of the paper becomes the texture of skin, and it’s amazing how a few lines can suggest the soft curve of a cheek or the weight of a breast. Israels isn’t trying to hide the process, instead, he’s revealing the architecture of the drawing, one line at a time. Look at how he's rendered the fingers, almost like an abstract pattern, and how this contrasts with the more defined lines of her face. It reminds me of the gestural drawings of Manet or Degas, capturing a candid moment. Ultimately, this sketch is a reminder that art isn’t about perfection, it’s about the journey of seeing and recording, with all the beautiful imperfections that come along with it.