Twee staande mannen, mogelijk soldaten c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this drawing, Twee staande mannen, mogelijk soldaten, with pencil on paper. It’s fascinating how Israels uses line—just the bare minimum—to conjure these figures. There's an immediacy, like he's trying to capture a fleeting moment. The lines are so economical, yet they imply so much. You can almost feel the quickness of his hand. Look at how the figures emerge from the page. The texture of the paper becomes part of the work, adding a sense of rawness and authenticity. The drawing feels like a direct transmission of thought, as if Israels is sketching directly from his mind's eye. That one long horizontal line, for example: is it a bench they’re sitting on, or the suggestion of a horizon line? This reminds me a little of Manet, both artists had this incredible ability to capture the essence of a subject with just a few strokes. For me, what’s so engaging about this piece is that it embraces the unfinished, inviting us to participate in the act of seeing.