Meisje met hoed 1875 - 1934

Here's Isaac Israels' sketch of a girl with a hat, made with pencil on paper. The lines are so light, aren't they? I imagine Israels, leaning in close, really looking, trying to capture something fleeting. Those wispy lines around the hat, they feel like he's chasing the very idea of a hat, not just the thing itself. There's a gentleness here, a hesitancy, like he's not quite sure, and that's okay. I love that. It's like he's thinking aloud with his pencil. The unfinished quality, the way the lines fade in and out, it makes you want to lean in closer, to fill in the blanks yourself. It reminds me of other sketch artists such as Manet who use light, quick sketches to create an image. It's a reminder that painting, or even sketching, is just a conversation, an ongoing exploration.