Figuurstudies 1875 - 1934

This is Isaac Israels’ ‘Figuurstudies,’ a sketch done sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century, probably with graphite or charcoal. It looks like a quick study, the kind of thing you do to warm up, or to capture an idea before it disappears. The thing that strikes me is the confidence of the marks. Look at the way he defines the figure with just a few strokes, the shading on the jacket, the suggestion of a face. It’s all there, but it's so minimal. Then there's the framing device, this rectangle and the circle hovering on the left, I love the ambiguity, the way it adds another layer to the image. It reminds me a bit of Degas, that sense of capturing a fleeting moment, of seeing the beauty in the everyday. But Israels has his own voice, a kind of directness and simplicity that’s really appealing. It's loose and gestural but at the same time precise. For me this piece is a reminder that art is not always about perfection, but about capturing something real, something felt.