Staande jonge man 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this pencil drawing of a young man, called 'staande jonge man' – or 'standing young man' in Dutch. But he’s actually lying down! It’s like Israels is playing with the idea of how we see, how we orient ourselves in the world. Look at the way Israels uses these light, almost hesitant lines, barely there but somehow capturing the essence of the figure. The marks are very simple, but they give you a sense of the weight and shape of the young man’s body, the folds of his clothing. See that bit around his head and neck? The lines get a little denser, a little darker, and suddenly you have this feeling of weight and form. It reminds me a bit of Manet, that looseness, that sense of capturing a fleeting moment. It’s not about perfection, it’s about the energy of the line, the feeling of the thing. Art is a conversation, you know, and Israels is definitely chiming in.