Portret van Sebald Rudolf Steinmetz 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of Sebald Rudolf Steinmetz and it's now in the Rijksmuseum. Look at those expressive marks swirling around the page. I can imagine Israels’ hand moving quickly, capturing the essence of Steinmetz in just a few strokes. It’s like he's trying to catch a fleeting thought, or a momentary expression. What was Israels thinking as he drew this portrait? Was he fascinated by Steinmetz’s intellect, his personality? Or was he simply captivated by the challenge of rendering a likeness with such minimal means? The thin pencil lines create a sense of lightness and airiness, as if the image could float right off the page. Yet, within those delicate strokes, there’s also a feeling of solidity, of presence. Israels was part of a generation of artists who were pushing the boundaries of representation, exploring new ways of capturing the world around them. His work reminds me of other painters like Manet or Degas, who were also interested in capturing the immediacy of modern life. And in turn, all of those artists have inspired me. It’s an ongoing exchange of ideas, a conversation that spans across time and space.