Figuurstudies c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this drawing called Figuurstudies, or Figure Studies, at an unknown date with what looks like pencil on paper. I love drawings, the intimacy of the artist’s hand, the simplicity of a few marks that suggest so much more. Look closely at the different weights and densities of the pencil lines. See how the artist is feeling out the forms, mapping the composition, and suggesting depth and volume through the pressure and speed of the marks. It’s like a dance, a conversation between the artist and the paper. The surface is almost untouched, allowing the viewer to participate in the imaginative act. You can almost feel the movement of the artist's hand and the energy of the figures emerging from the page. To me it has a similar feel to some of Degas’ drawings, where the sketchiness and incompleteness allows our imagination to fill in the blanks. Ultimately, art is about the exchange of ideas, and the multiple ways of seeing and experiencing the world.