Hoofden 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing titled ‘Hoofden’ with pencil, and it's now kept at the Rijksmuseum. Israels goes for an almost ghostly rendering here. The initial marks are so faint, like a memory barely held, and then he seems to go over certain parts, reinforcing them, making them pop. The head and the two dark patches jump out against the expanse of the blank paper. Look at the way the pencil lines are laid down, especially in the head. It’s not about outlining or defining, but about building up tone with these scribbly, energetic marks. There’s a real sense of immediacy, like he’s trying to capture a fleeting impression. It reminds me a bit of Manet, both in the subject matter and the loose, sketchy quality. Both artists seem interested in capturing the ephemeral nature of modern life, the way things appear and disappear in a blink.