Figuurstudies 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made these 'Figuurstudies' with graphite on paper, but we don’t know exactly when. I’m guessing he worked at speed here; look at those expressive marks laid down with such immediacy! The artist's hand barely seems to have touched the paper, just a momentary meeting of thought and action. I’m especially drawn to the upper figure, the way the artist returns to the head, mapping a cloud of lines around it. I feel the artist searching for the right form, not quite finding it, but in the process, evoking a sense of movement and presence. I wonder, was this sketched from life or memory? I can imagine him on the streets of Amsterdam or Paris, always observing, always practicing. I often work in a similar way myself, making loads of quick drawings to capture something fleeting and ineffable. It's like a visual diary, a place for experiments and observations, adding to a conversation that goes back centuries.