Staande figuren voor muzikanten 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of standing figures for musicians with graphite on paper. The marks feel exploratory, like he’s thinking through the forms in real-time. You can almost see him feeling his way around the figures, testing out different angles and weights. The graphite is applied in varying degrees of pressure, creating a range of tones from light gray to almost black. In the bottom grouping of figures, notice the dense hatching used to describe the shadows and folds of their clothing, compared with the lighter, more gestural lines used for the figures above. This contrast creates a sense of depth and dimension, even though it's just a drawing. It reminds me of sketches by Degas, both artists capturing fleeting moments and the energy of figures in motion, not overly precious or labored. The art is the process of trying to understand something.