Vrouw, mogelijk in uniform 1875 - 1934

This is a drawing by Isaac Israels of a woman, possibly in uniform. The whole thing is kind of a flurry of marks, isn't it? Israels is working out something here, he is feeling his way through the image, and, in doing so, he lets us in on the process. There's a gorgeous, kind of scribbly energy to the marks. I love the way the lines around her face are so searching, unsure even. The marks are darker and more committed around her clothing. I find myself wondering, what does it mean to put on a uniform? The weight and drag of it. It reminds me a little of Manet and Degas, the way they capture a sense of modern life with a kind of restless energy. It is, after all, just a quick sketch. A captured moment. But there's something about the off-kilter perspective and the uncertainty of the marks that makes it feel very alive, very human.