Geschminkte figuur, zittend c. 1915s - 1925s

Curator: Immediately, the stark lines and subdued tonality give me a melancholic feeling. There’s a sense of quiet contemplation in this sketched figure. Editor: Indeed. We're looking at "Geschminkte figuur, zittend," which translates to "Made-up Figure, Seated." This artwork, attributed to Isaac Israels, likely dates from somewhere between the 1915s and 1925s. It is an ink and pencil drawing currently held in the Rijksmuseum. Curator: It’s interesting to see this figure within a specific timeframe. I immediately wonder about her made-up face. Was she a performer, perhaps? How does her presentation play into societal expectations of women at the time, especially in a period defined by rapidly shifting roles? The use of the "made-up" figure is really loaded, considering shifting perceptions of gender in that era. Editor: It’s difficult to say definitively without further contextual clues, but thinking about it through the lens of art history, it seems that Israels had a real fascination with depicting women in their daily lives and professions. Actresses, models, fashionable ladies. The subject reflects his larger interest in urban life, specifically that of women. The medium also plays a role. Drawing in pencil and ink allowed for spontaneous gestures to capture a fleeting moment. Curator: Exactly, and it really gets me thinking about power dynamics in portraiture and who gets to define those images. The directness of the gaze and the seeming informality of the medium add an interesting dimension here. Can we even read those intended power dynamics or narratives appropriately today, through our 21st-century lens? Editor: It's a valid point. While Israels' work often presents itself as a direct record of contemporary life, one could argue it presents constructed social and political realities and values as well. In the Rijksmuseum’s records, there isn't too much contextual information about who this sitter was or what specific moment Israels was trying to record. This ambiguity opens it up for our interpretations. Curator: So much of this discourse and so many considerations orbit questions that challenge established norms within institutional spaces. I like the conversation we have introduced simply through an innocent pencil and ink drawing. Editor: Me too. Perhaps visitors might consider the social milieu out of which it was born the next time they encounter Israels’ ‘Made-Up Figure.’