Figuren aan zee 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing, Figuren aan zee, at an unknown date with graphite on paper, and it's like catching a fleeting thought. Israels uses a sort of shorthand, a quick notation to capture the essence of figures by the sea. It's all about the process, the immediacy of the mark, which is something I really identify with. Look at the lower section; see how the scribbled lines build up a dense, almost chaotic texture? It's a mass of marks, but somehow, it defines form. It’s not about perfection or detail, but about the energy and rhythm of the scene. The figures themselves are barely there, just suggestions of human presence against the vastness of the sea and sky. I’m reminded of the landscape drawings of someone like James McNeill Whistler. In both artists you feel this similar pursuit of atmosphere and emotion over literal representation. It’s more like an echo of a place.