Vrouwelijk naakt, in profiel c. 1915s - 1925s

Curator: Immediately, I sense an incredible intimacy and fragility from this pencil sketch. Editor: Indeed. Here at the Rijksmuseum, we have "Vrouwelijk naakt, in profiel," a nude female figure drawn in profile by Isaac Israels, likely sometime between 1915 and 1925. The swiftness of line speaks to a very personal and, dare I say, informal study. Curator: Informal is key. The lines aren't precious. Look at the shading; it suggests form, sure, but also a certain haste, or maybe a preoccupation. Do we know the circumstances of its creation? Editor: The exact context is elusive. However, Israels was deeply engaged with depicting everyday life and, importantly, frequently sketched models in his studio. The art world increasingly normalized the artistic rendering of nude figures as academic practices spread through institutional education and salon exhibitions of the era, reflecting shifts in what was acceptable for public consumption. Curator: So, not simply a study in form then. It is fascinating to consider how prevailing attitudes shaped Israels’ work, not merely aesthetically but also regarding its social function. See how the loose sketchwork still evokes this compelling tenderness through the angle of the head, the curve of the back. Editor: I agree completely. Note how the parallel hatching emphasizes shadow, directing the viewer’s gaze despite the drawing's inherent incompleteness. He masterfully captures light and form with sparse but telling lines. Curator: Right, incompleteness invites interpretation. It is this suggestion, not a declarative statement, which enables a silent discourse with the subject, echoing the dynamics inherent between the artist and model within the broader social framework of the period. Editor: Ultimately, it's an artwork of combined aesthetic strength with insightful historical reflection, as a glimpse into not only an artist's process but a bygone social dynamic. Curator: Yes, and perhaps what persists with "Vrouwelijk naakt, in profiel" is this palpable sense of both vulnerability and autonomy, of both subject and object.