Hoofd, in profiel c. 1919

Curator: Welcome. We’re looking at Isaac Israels’ “Head, in Profile,” a pencil drawing from around 1919 held here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: There’s an undeniable energy here. A restless quality. The sketch lines seem to vibrate right off the page, don't they? Curator: Indeed. Note how Israels uses economy of line. It's quite characteristic of his Impressionistic style—suggesting form rather than defining it explicitly. The profile, while incomplete, is immediately recognizable. Editor: The subject's vulnerability is striking. Perhaps it reflects the turbulent years after World War I? There’s an anxiety, an unfinished quality... A profile like this lends itself to that; the subject can't meet our gaze. Curator: Perhaps, or it may speak to Israels’ technique. Notice the absence of shading; he relies purely on line to create depth and volume, creating dynamism. Consider also that this is likely a preparatory study. The lines above suggest he's working out an angle of vision. Editor: That makes sense. Yet I still see the wider cultural currents at play. Women, especially those who did not adhere to normative presentations, had their visages used without consent in medical or scientific settings. This profile, incomplete, calls to mind the disembodiment of these unnamed people whose contours were cataloged by systems of power. Curator: An interesting observation, and certainly applicable when thinking about power dynamics within portraiture and issues of representation. Although, here, Israels refrains from crispness and resolution. The form emerges through the immediacy of gesture rather than studied observation. Editor: A sketch indeed, but isn’t all art inevitably contextualized within societal norms? We view, categorize, and attach meanings to art, and portraits such as these should challenge us to reconsider representation and exploitation. Curator: I appreciate that perspective. Viewing this within such a matrix makes me reconsider the presumed intention that comes with portraiture. I agree that seeing is never passive. Editor: Exactly. A seemingly simple sketch opens up complex considerations when approached with intentionality.