Man, in profiel 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this pencil sketch, Man, in profiel, sometime in the past. I really get the feeling of process from this one. It's like looking at someone thinking. The marks are so tentative, almost like he's feeling his way around the form. You can see the texture of the paper, the graphite kind of clinging to it. Look at the way the lines around his head are smudged, like he was trying to capture a fleeting thought. It is very tactile. That scribbled patch in the lower left corner, what's that about? It looks like he was testing the pencil, or maybe just letting his hand wander. It's like a little secret, a glimpse into the artist's process. Makes me think of Morandi, who was also so good at doing that. It's a reminder that art is not just about the finished product, it's about the journey.