Sokkel van het beeld van Perseus en Medusa op het Piazza della Signoria te Florence c. 1923 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this sketch of the base of the statue of Perseus and Medusa in Florence, using pen and ink. The speed of the line suggests he probably dashed this off in situ. It’s all about the energy of the hand, capturing something fleeting. The thing about pen and ink is, once you put it down, it’s there. You can’t really erase it, unlike pencil. So you’re sort of stuck with the marks you make. This makes you commit, you know? Look at the way he layers the lines, especially on the left side of the base; it’s almost like he’s building up the form with these tiny, rapid strokes. There's a real sense of depth and shadow, even though it's just black lines on paper. It’s pretty cool how he suggests the weight and solidity of the sculpture with such simple means. You can almost feel the ghost of someone like Adolph Menzel in this piece, someone else who was interested in the life of the city. Art is just one big conversation.