Staande figuur met gekruiste benen c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this drawing, Staande figuur met gekruiste benen, using what looks like pencil on paper. The figure seems to emerge from the page with very few lines, and the hatch marks, instead of shading, look like an attempt to find the form from within the marks themselves. The texture of the page shows through, emphasizing the flatness and the lightness of the medium. I particularly love the sketchy lines around the head that almost resemble tangled string. It’s like the drawing is thinking out loud, letting us see the process of its making. And how the negative space shapes the legs, giving them form. It reminds me of Matisse’s line drawings, where he captures so much with so little. It’s a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time. It's all about embracing the ambiguity and finding meaning in the process.