Zelfportret van Isaac Israels c. 1915s - 1925s

This is Isaac Israels' self-portrait, a pencil drawing that now resides in the Rijksmuseum. At first glance, you're struck by the immediacy of the sketch. Delicate lines dance across the page, capturing the artist's likeness with remarkable economy. The composition is asymmetrical, with the head tilted to the left. This creates a dynamic tension within the frame. Israels' approach to form is intriguing. Rather than meticulously defining every contour, he uses a series of broken lines to suggest the shape of his face, playing with the semiotic idea of indexical signs. The lines coalesce to give the impression of his features. Consider the negative space around the head. It's not merely emptiness, but an active element that shapes our perception. The incompleteness challenges the traditional notion of portraiture, suggesting that identity is always in formation, never fully fixed. It's a subtle yet powerful statement about the self and representation.