Figuurstudies c. 1915s - 1925s

Editor: Here we have Isaac Israels’ "Figuurstudies," dating from around 1915 to 1925. It’s a pencil drawing on paper, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. It’s… surprisingly minimal. Just these very light sketches of figures. What do you make of it? Curator: What strikes me is how evocative these seemingly simple lines are. The immediacy! There’s a rawness, wouldn't you agree? A feeling that Israels captured fleeting moments. What figures or ideas emerge for you when viewing them? Editor: I guess… suggestions of movement? One figure looks almost like they're dancing, and another perhaps reclining? It feels so spontaneous, which is typical of Impressionism I believe. But is there more to it than just capturing a quick impression? Curator: Absolutely! Think about the psychological weight of a sketch. Israels isn't just depicting bodies, but mapping forms from life, a symbolic dance between observation and representation. Doesn't it prompt you to think about gesture? How posture communicates intent? Consider how often we use posture in symbolic form! Editor: So, are you saying these figures, even in their unfinished state, are acting almost as symbols of different actions, and, also of Israels' state of mind? A sense of constant looking? Curator: Precisely! The sketchbook becomes a repository of cultural memory as he seeks to understand. Israels is engaging with a visual language that transcends realism, creating a vocabulary of form that still resonates today. Editor: I hadn’t thought about the link between the action and a language that connects time and form. This changes everything! Thank you! Curator: And thank you! Looking at this drawing alongside you revealed even more about how we all connect through imagery.