Reclining Female Nude 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing, *Reclining Female Nude*, with ink on paper. Look at the economy of these lines. I can imagine Israels working quickly, his eye darting back and forth between the model and the page. These marks are so full of information and feeling! It feels like a collaboration between the artist, the model, and the ink itself. I bet Israels was trying to capture not just the appearance of the model, but also the sensation of light and shadow playing across her body. There is a clear dialogue with artists like Degas. And you know, drawing like this is an investigation. It is a way to really look, and to see the world anew. It makes me want to grab a pen and paper and try to capture the world around me with that same sense of immediacy and joy.