Lopende man met stok, op de rug gezien 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this sketch, 'Lopende man met stok, op de rug gezien' or 'Running man with a stick, seen from the back', with graphite on paper. The impressionistic style, with its gestural lines, captures a fleeting moment. Israels was working in the Netherlands at a time of great social change, with industrialization, urbanization, and the growth of socialist movements. The rapid pace of modern life was unsettling. The sketch offers a glimpse into the everyday lives of ordinary people. The running man is a symbol of modernity and progress, but the stick suggests a more traditional way of life. Israels seems to be suggesting that the new and the old can coexist. To understand this sketch, we might look to the contemporary press, literature, and social commentary to understand the debates about modernity and tradition that were taking place at the time.