Ruiter met een gevleugelde helm, op de rug gezien 1887 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this study of a rider with a winged helmet using graphite on paper. Israels’s choice of material is interesting here. The use of graphite – an industrial material – as the basis for image creation is telling. It’s immediate, it's accessible, and it suggests a certain attitude towards labor. Israels made many sketches like this; notations of contemporary life. The speed of execution afforded by graphite allowed him to capture fleeting moments and scenes, directly documenting modern society. The fleeting, sketched nature of this work also removes the artwork from any sort of association with fine art. The use of such a utilitarian material invites us to consider the social implications of Israels's artistic choices, and to question the traditional boundaries between art and craft, or art and design.