Vrouwenhoofd 1875 - 1934

This is 'Vrouwenhoofd' or 'Head of a Woman' by Isaac Israels. It's at the Rijksmuseum, and looks like it was made with graphite on paper. What I love about a sketch like this is how immediate it feels; like we’re right there in the studio with Israels, watching the image emerge from the page. You can almost see his hand moving, trying to capture the essence of his subject with just a few lines. Look how minimal it is, but so expressive – a curve here for the hat, a quick dash for the nose. I imagine him stepping back, squinting, adjusting, deciding what to keep and what to leave out. It reminds me that painting and drawing isn’t about perfect representation, but about feeling and seeing. And maybe, that feeling is enough. It's the start of a conversation with the subject, or with himself. I'm sure he learned a lot about what kind of painting he wanted to make next. I'm sure many other artists have come here to do the same.