Reclining Female Nude c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels sketched this reclining nude with pencil on paper. The looseness of the line suggests that it was made from life, capturing a fleeting moment. It makes me think about how we see, and how seeing is always a partial, fragmented process. Israels is laying down a structure with his lines, trying to capture the essence of form. The energy in the sketch feels very fresh and direct. See how the lines around the face are a little more agitated, capturing the model's expression. There's something very real and intimate in the way Israels renders the body, without idealizing or objectifying it. This piece reminds me of Egon Schiele's drawings, both in its raw and expressive lines, and in its exploration of the human form. Like Schiele, Israels seems to be interested in capturing the psychological state of his subject, not just their physical appearance. Art is a conversation, a way of seeing and thinking that evolves over time.