Vrouwenhoofd c. 1886 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this head of a woman using pencil on paper. I love how immediate the drawing is; it feels like Israels captured a fleeting moment, the kind of sketch you might make in a cafe. You can almost see the artist rapidly moving the pencil across the page, building up tone and shadow with these quick, scribbled lines. The artist seems to have caught their sitter from an odd angle, as though she was resting her head down. The composition is simple, just a face floating on the page, but it's full of character. It reminds me of other sketches, like Manet, Degas, or even the early works of Picasso. What I really get from this is a sense of intimacy, like we're seeing a private glimpse into the artist's world. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to be grand or elaborate; sometimes, the simplest gestures can be the most profound. The way the artist captures the light and shadow on the face—it really brings her to life.