Vrouw met hoed, in profiel 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a woman in a hat, in profile, with a pencil, at some point in his career. The marks are so open, so breezy, that you can feel the artist moving across the page, figuring out what he wants to say. I love the way the pencil sits on the paper, it’s soft and hard at the same time. The drawing feels both tentative and sure, like Israels is both searching for something and already knows what he’s looking for. Look at the way he’s rendered the hat; it’s almost like a separate drawing within the drawing. The lines are so quick and gestural. I’m reminded of Manet, especially the way he uses line to suggest form rather than define it. But where Manet is cool, Israels is warm. His drawing invites you in, makes you feel like you’re part of the process.