Twee vrouwen 1875 - 1934

This sketch of two women, by Isaac Israels, is like a little poem, scribbled in pencil, perhaps in a cafe or on a train. It's all about capturing a fleeting moment, those lines are so minimal, just enough to suggest form and presence. I can imagine Israels, quickly, urgently trying to capture the essence of these figures before they moved away. What were they talking about? Were they friends, lovers, or strangers? The beauty of a sketch like this lies in its ambiguity, in the space it leaves for our imaginations to wander. Those loose, gestural lines - they're not about perfect representation but about feeling. It's like he's saying, "Here, look! This is what it felt like to see them," rather than "This is exactly what they looked like." It's a reminder that art isn't about copying reality but about translating it, transforming it through the artist's unique lens.