Figuurstudies c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this drawing, Figuurstudies, with a pencil on paper. Look at the speed of those lines! It reminds me that artmaking is a process as much as a product. Israels’ rapid, almost scribbled marks aren't trying to hide anything. The sketchiness is the point, right? They’re not precious or overworked, they are what they are. See how the graphite sits on the page, sometimes dark and assertive, other times fading into a whisper? It is like the drawing is breathing. I’m drawn to the cluster of marks on the left side of the page - they are like quick notations, capturing the barest essence of form. For me, this work connects to artists like Cy Twombly, who embrace the beauty of the incomplete and the power of suggestion. Art is a conversation across time and the best conversations leave room for the unexpected.