Mannen in een etablissement 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels dashed this drawing off in an establishment, we think, but we don’t know when! There’s a freedom to the marks, a kind of joyous expediency in the way he lays down the lines. The graphite seems to dance across the page, isn't it? Look at how he captures the smoky atmosphere with just a few quick strokes. The texture is almost palpable; you can practically feel the grit of the graphite on the paper. There's this one spot, see, where he’s rendered the back of the figure on the right, layering lines, building up the form with such energy, that mark alone has so much confidence and vigor. Israels reminds me a little of Toulouse-Lautrec, in that he captured these fleeting moments of modern life with such immediacy, but what’s really cool is seeing how artists like Israels and Lautrec continue to inspire painters today. The conversation never stops, you know? We’re all just adding our voices to this big, beautiful, messy chorus. And, like all great art, it's the openness to interpretation that keeps us coming back for more.