Zittend vrouwelijk naakt, lezend 1875 - 1934

This drawing of a seated, reading, female nude was made by Isaac Israels, but when, we don’t know. It’s a sketch – just lines on paper - and it’s full of immediacy. I can almost imagine Israels making this, really looking at his model, trying to capture the curve of her back, how she leans forward, engrossed in her book. It feels like a private moment, doesn’t it? Like we’re not really supposed to be looking. I wonder what she’s reading? And I wonder what Israels was thinking as he drew her? Was he thinking about other artists who had drawn nudes before him? Probably! Artists are always in conversation with each other, across time, inspiring each other. For me, painting and drawing are embodied expressions, and this drawing is no exception. We can all bring our own interpretations to it; there’s no one way to see it, to respond to it.