Figuren op straat c. 1886 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of figures on the street with graphite on paper, a tool for sketching, for trying to fix something fleeting. Look at these scratchy lines, which seem to be trying to capture figures in motion, to trap them on the page! I can imagine Isaac standing on a busy corner, quickly trying to capture the essence of people passing by. What were they wearing? Where were they going? Look at the lamp post on the bottom right. Israels isn’t trying to give us all of the information, just enough for our mind’s eye to fill in the gaps. This piece reminds me that drawing and painting isn't about perfection, or about photorealism. It's more about feeling and about trying to create a gesture that captures something about the world and a moment in time. Israels' sketch invites us to bring our own experiences to the street scene, to become a part of its ongoing narrative.