Hoofd, mogelijk van een kind c. 1886 - 1934

Editor: This is "Head, Possibly of a Child," a pencil drawing, possibly dating from between 1886 and 1934, by Isaac Israels, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. It looks like it's torn from a sketchbook... raw and very personal. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: The quiet intimacy, I think. You're right, it feels like a glimpse into the artist's private world. I imagine Israels, sketchbook in hand, quickly capturing this child's essence. Do you notice how the lines are so economical? He's saying so much with so little. Editor: Yes, it's just a few lines, but they really convey a personality. Is that why it feels so modern, even though it could be over a century old? Curator: Perhaps. Also, its incompleteness is quite appealing, don't you agree? We’re used to seeing perfectly finished paintings on a wall, but the lack of precision opens it up to so many interpretations. Also, did you notice how the child almost appears as an annotation among a series of notes or memos on the aged and torn paper? Editor: I see that. It’s interesting to imagine the whole sketchbook and what other thoughts or observations surrounded this little portrait. Curator: Exactly. It's like finding a fragment of a beautiful dream. Makes you wonder about the untold stories hiding in every sketchbook, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely! It really does make you think about the beauty in the everyday and the power of quick, personal expression. Curator: Precisely. And isn't that what art should do—invite us to see the world anew?