Mannenhoofd c. 1915s - 1925s

This head study was drawn by Isaac Israels, though we don't know exactly when. Looking at it, I get a real sense of being inside the act of drawing itself. I imagine Israels, rapidly filling the page with these marks, almost like he's sculpting the head with lines. It reminds me of some of those quick figure drawings you see artists do, where they're just trying to capture the essence of a pose in a matter of minutes. There’s a real freedom and playfulness to it. You can feel the artist trying to capture the light and shadow, thinking through the form. I mean, it’s just a quick sketch, but you get the sense that Israels is really seeing, really present in that moment of creation. And that's the thing about drawing, right? It’s a way of thinking, a way of figuring things out. And we, as viewers, get to be a part of that process, too. Isn't that a wonderful thing?