Hoofd en vrouwenbenen 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this work of charcoal on paper, with the title "Hoofd en vrouwenbenen," or "Head and Women's Legs". It is a sketch, quickly done, its lines spare and efficient. Charcoal is a very direct medium. It’s not easily corrected, which is why it’s often used for preliminary studies. But here, the sketch itself is the point. Israels is capturing a fleeting impression, a moment of everyday life. He's not trying to create a polished, finished work. Think about the process of sketching. It’s a way of seeing, of recording what’s in front of you. But it’s also a way of thinking, of developing ideas. Israels is using charcoal to explore the world around him, to understand the forms and gestures of the people he sees. There’s an intimacy to the medium, a sense of immediacy that speaks to the artist’s direct engagement with his subject. This is a very modern way of seeing, and making.