Man en twee vrouwen aan een tafel 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a man and two women at a table, probably in one of those smoky cafes, with charcoal or graphite. It's all about speed here, catching a fleeting moment, a vibe, a way of seeing. Look at the marks, how they build up the forms but also leave so much to the imagination. The pressure he puts on the charcoal creates depth, a sort of visual weight that anchors the figures to the table. You can almost feel the texture of the paper coming through, giving it that raw, immediate feel. The way the shadows are scribbled in reminds me of Daumier, who was also interested in capturing everyday life with a kind of compassionate eye. Israels wasn't after perfect representation; he was trying to nail down something more elusive, a feeling, an atmosphere. It’s like he's saying, "Here's a moment, incomplete, imperfect, but full of life." And isn't that what art is all about? Not answers, but questions, possibilities.