Man, in profiel c. 1915s - 1925s

This drawing of a man, in profile, was made by Isaac Israels, but I couldn’t tell you when. It's a study, a sketch, and I love the immediacy of it. Look at the texture created by the pencil lines, how they build up the form without ever quite defining it. It feels like Israels is thinking through the process of drawing, each line a question, a possibility. The surface of the paper is so present, so quiet, compared to the frenetic energy of the marks. The hand, raised in the air, it almost looks like he is conducting an orchestra, or maybe just reaching out for something. It's such a simple gesture, but it speaks volumes. Think of Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec, contemporaries of Israels, all exploring the same themes of modern life. Art is like this, a conversation across time and space, each artist adding their own voice to the chorus. We can never know exactly what Israels intended with this drawing, and that’s okay. It’s in the ambiguity that the magic lies.