Figuur met hoed, in profiel c. 1915s - 1925s

Editor: This is "Figuur met hoed, in profiel," or "Figure with a Hat, in Profile," a pencil drawing by Isaac Israels, made sometime between 1915 and 1925. The sketchy, almost hurried quality of the lines makes it seem very spontaneous and immediate. What catches your eye? Curator: Immediately, the stark contrast between the heavily shaded hat and the sparsely drawn figure. Notice how the artist uses dense, parallel lines to create a sense of volume and texture in the hat, which starkly opposes the contour drawing that defines the rest of the form. How might the contrast in the artist’s application create tension? Editor: That's interesting! It feels like the hat is the most important thing, almost detached from the person wearing it. Is it about the structure of the hat contrasting the rest of the person, which feels undefined? Curator: Precisely. It begs the question, why isolate the hat through a variation of texture, when the objective is an alleged representation? Or, one could look at this study and determine the real subject is an exercise in lines? The rest of the figure acts almost as scaffolding for the shape above. What semiotic reading might this structure invoke? Editor: I never would have thought to break it down this way! I was just seeing a quick sketch, but it’s really an intricate study of shape, line, and emphasis. Curator: Indeed, consider the power of the artist's purposeful composition and his mark-making. It certainly generates something evocative beyond just the mimetic qualities. Perhaps a preparatory idea. Editor: It gives so much insight to observe it, even if just a draft for another work. I have a newfound perspective of his practice now! Curator: As do I! Recognizing this play contributes further depth to understanding how artists can utilize simplicity and contrast to create emphasis.