Portret van een onbekende man c. 1915s - 1925s

This is Isaac Israels' drawing of an unknown man, made with pencil on paper. It’s all about line, quick and searching, like the artist is trying to capture a fleeting impression. Look at the way the lines build up the form, almost like a wire sculpture. There's a real energy in the sketch, a sense of immediacy. Notice the concentration of marks around the face, and how the jacket is suggested with a few bold strokes. You can almost feel Israels’ hand moving across the page, figuring things out as he goes. That single line for the nose, it’s perfect! Israels was part of a generation of artists who were interested in capturing modern life, and you can see that here in his quick, informal style. I’m reminded of Manet, who was also interested in depicting modern subjects with a similar sense of immediacy and loose handling. Art is always in conversation with itself, echoing across time. It’s like a big game of telephone!