Stadsgezicht met figuren 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this city scene with figures using graphite, or something like it. I love how the marks are so loose, like he was trying to catch a feeling more than a place. Look at the way the buildings are rendered, almost scribbled in, but still solid, weighty. And then the figures in the foreground, just these fleeting gestures. It's like he's saying, “Here is a city, but it’s really made of moments, of people passing by.” There’s a real physicality to the drawing too. You can see the pressure of the graphite on the paper, how he layered the marks to create depth and shadow. I especially like the way he's rendered the sky - it’s almost like he’s smudging the graphite with his finger. It reminds me a little of Daumier, who was working a little earlier, who had that same ability to capture the feeling of a place with just a few lines. Art is just one big conversation.