Figuren met geheven armen 1875 - 1934

This sketch of figures with raised arms was made by Isaac Israels, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. It's so gestural, isn't it? A quick graphite on paper study of a cluster of bodies. You get the feeling that Israels was trying to capture a sense of movement and maybe even some kind of drama. The arms reaching upwards—are they reaching for something, or pushing away? I imagine him quickly, urgently, trying to capture a fleeting moment, not worrying about the details, just trying to get the basic forms down. The lines are scratchy and loose, and some parts are more defined than others. It reminds me of sketches by other artists like Rodin or Degas, who also used drawing to explore the human figure in motion. This is all about ambiguity, there's something very exciting about that.