Twee lopende vrouwen, in profiel c. 1886 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of two women, probably with a graphite stick, sometime between 1880 and 1934. Look at the way he lets his lines describe their shapes. It’s like he's thinking aloud with his hand. The cool thing about drawings like this is you can almost feel the artist moving across the page. Israels uses a simple technique, but he does it with such confidence that the women come alive. Notice how the lines around their hats and shoulders are bold and dark, giving them weight, while other lines are faint and almost disappear into the white paper. That contrast makes me think about the relationship between these women, who leads and who follows? This reminds me a little of Toulouse-Lautrec who also loved capturing quick, everyday moments, but Israels is more subtle. It’s a good reminder that art doesn't always need to shout. Sometimes, the quietest voices have the most to say.