Vrouw aan een tafel c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a woman at a table with graphite on paper. It's all about line, line, line! I can imagine Israels quickly sketching, trying to capture a fleeting moment, a sense of the woman’s pose, the objects on the table. What was he thinking as his pencil danced across the paper? Was he trying to capture the light, the shadow, the essence of the scene before it disappeared? Maybe he was thinking of Degas, or Manet, or some other artist who captured daily life with such elegance and ease. I love the casualness of the marks, the way they build up to create form and depth. Israels’ choice of a light touch communicates a sense of immediacy, as though the image were captured in a single breath. It reminds me that painting isn't just about the final product, it's also about the process, the journey, the conversation between the artist and the world. And of course, that conversation never really ends, as we viewers continue to bring our own experiences and perspectives to the work, making it new again each time.