Zittende figuren, mogelijk kinderen 1921 - 1922

Curator: This pencil drawing, dating from 1921-1922, is entitled "Zittende figuren, mogelijk kinderen" – “Seated Figures, possibly children.” It’s by Isaac Israels, and we’re lucky enough to have it here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: There's something wonderfully unfinished about this piece. You can see the artist’s process so clearly, almost like eavesdropping on a fleeting moment. What first jumps out at me is how the graphite work focuses on outlines, emphasizing shapes. Curator: Absolutely. Israels uses the bare minimum of line work, trusting the viewer to complete the image. What do you make of the depiction of children? Editor: There's an incredible vulnerability captured here. The quick strokes suggest a lack of pretense, revealing the candid posture and unaffected gestures, seemingly direct from life itself. Do we know what specific pencil Israels favored? The soft gradations are quite masterful. Curator: Sadly, I don't have any detailed knowledge on that specific point! But I see those details relating to how childhood is frequently depicted within visual culture, a tension between vulnerability and precociousness, presented using familiar tropes of innocence but somehow destabilized by the sketch-like nature. Editor: Yes, those traditional readings certainly have their place. However, I feel myself more drawn towards the physical aspects of the process itself, for the means used. You have only a simple tool, a graphite stick, creating various degrees of emotional intensity. I love the way that materiality bridges artistic intention and viewer experience. Curator: I concede that the immediacy and honesty are central to how it communicates with its viewers. It feels closer to experience itself. Do you feel that that impression of raw unmediated experience comes from the material more than from his aesthetic agenda, more than, say, any conscious engagement with impressionistic philosophies? Editor: Interesting... I'm tempted to agree with you. I think that any close understanding of "art" requires focusing upon material facts. Curator: And there you have it - some thought-provoking interpretations! Editor: Indeed, thanks for taking the time.