Zittende handwerkende vrouw c. 1855 - 1859

This is a page from a sketchbook by Jozef Israëls showing studies for a figure of a seated woman. The drawings, rendered in graphite, are defined by a network of lines, building up layers of tone and texture. The composition's structural integrity relies on the delicate balance between positive forms and negative space. Israëls creates the structure of the human form by using an interplay of light and shadow. This not only describes the figure but also evokes a sense of movement, where the dynamism is rooted in its lines. The sketchy quality is not a deficit but rather an aesthetic decision, highlighting the process of artmaking itself. The lines on the page become active agents in the construction of meaning. This focus on the materiality of the artwork is aligned with the broader philosophical shift of the time towards understanding the intrinsic qualities of artistic mediums. Israëls invites us to appreciate the interplay of form and content within a network of ever-shifting meaning.