Vrouw met kapje, van voren, ten halven lijve 1834 - 1911

Jozef Israëls captured this woman with a cap, ‘Vrouw met kapje’ in Dutch, using graphite on paper. The rough hatching that creates tone and volume is typical of a preparatory sketch, a means of quickly capturing form. Graphite pencils have been around since the 16th century, but in the 19th century, became increasingly associated with academic training, as they allowed for accurate representational drawing. Yet here, Israëls uses the material to a different end. Rather than smooth modeling, he leaves the marks of labor exposed, and uses the texture of the graphite to create a feeling of lived experience. The subject is given dignity through this direct, unvarnished approach. She has a strong presence. Though rapidly drawn, the image has weight. It reflects the social realist aesthetic that Israëls and other artists brought to the depiction of working people. Ultimately, this drawing invites us to consider the many ways that a simple material like graphite can be used to express both artistic skill, and social awareness.