Zelfportret van Isaac Israels c. 1923 - 1934

This self-portrait by Isaac Israels at the Rijksmuseum, looks like it was made with graphite, maybe even a very soft pencil. It's all about mark making, the process of feeling your way through an image. The beauty of this sketch lies in its simplicity. Look at the eye on the upper left: it’s a nest of lines that somehow capture the essence of looking. The texture of the paper shows through, becoming part of the drawing. The lines are thin, almost hesitant, but there’s a confidence in their placement. The space around the face is just as important, giving the image room to breathe, inviting us to fill in the blanks. This reminds me of drawings by other artists like Manet, who also used simple strokes to capture light and form. Art is an ongoing conversation, and it’s interesting to see how different artists approach the same subject. This piece is so open, so unresolved, that it allows for endless interpretations.