Staande vrouw met hoed 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a standing woman with a hat sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. It's just lines on paper, right? But those lines, they're doing so much work. Israels isn't just copying what he sees; he's figuring it out as he goes, like a jazz musician riffing on a theme. Look at the way he suggests the hat. It's a flurry of scribbles, not a detailed rendering. And those lines that form the woman's face, they’re so economical, so full of life. Each mark feels considered, but also spontaneous. For me, that's what art is all about: it's not about getting it "right," but about embracing the process, the mess, the unexpected. It reminds me of some of Degas' drawings, where he's just feeling his way through the form, letting the lines lead him. Art's just a conversation, really. It's never finished, always evolving.