Twee staande vrouwen 1875 - 1934

Editor: So, this is "Twee staande vrouwen," or "Two Standing Women," by Isaac Israels, created sometime between 1875 and 1934. It’s a drawing, pencil on paper, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. It’s quite gestural; the figures are rendered with very few lines. What feeling do you get from the economical approach here? Curator: What immediately strikes me is the doubling, that repetition. We aren’t just seeing two figures, but perhaps two facets of the same figure or a mirrored representation of a feeling. Israels wasn’t just sketching forms, he was capturing movement, life... Editor: A duplication of a figure hints that Israels had certain intentions while composing it. Curator: Indeed! The rough and expressive nature, we might almost call it raw, echoes a freedom. I’m particularly intrigued by how the flowing robes almost hide or reveal depending on how you interpret it; Israels is definitely engaging with ideas surrounding public presentation of the body and inner thought, it also references his Jewish identity through dress-making which would later become very poignant. Do you agree that dress could become a second skin, shaping our perceived identities? Editor: Yes! How the artist represented women became an important theme in the later stages of the artist’s life; one of transformation. The way the robes drape and move feels… intentional. Almost purposeful. What are some other considerations that could explain why dress became an important topic of the artist's later life? Curator: It touches upon themes that resonate across cultures: ritual, status, transition and memorialization. Israels makes tangible these concepts; giving symbolic representation in form and fabric to create an emotional charge. This is more than just fashion, don’t you think? Editor: Absolutely, you’ve given me so much to think about - especially the theme of transition. This artwork made me realize there’s more to unpack!