Studie 1875 - 1934

Editor: Right now we're looking at a piece titled "Studie," which roughly translates to "Study." It's a pencil drawing on paper by Isaac Israels, created sometime between 1875 and 1934, and it’s currently housed here at the Rijksmuseum. It feels incredibly fleeting to me, almost like catching a glimpse of a memory fading away. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Fleeting, yes! A whisper of a portrait, or maybe two…almost overlapping. It reminds me of looking at faces in clouds. Do you see how Israels uses these light, almost hesitant pencil strokes? They barely graze the surface of the paper, but somehow suggest form, emotion… even movement. It feels very much in the spirit of Impressionism, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Definitely. It’s that emphasis on capturing a fleeting moment, a sense of light and atmosphere, even with just a few pencil lines. Curator: Exactly! He's not trying to give us every detail, but rather an impression, a feeling. It makes me think about what Israels was trying to capture in his studies - was it purely form, or also perhaps something more? He seems like he’s quickly jotting down his first impressions and the figures fade into each other; it could almost be read as cubist. What do you think he was going for? Editor: I see your point. I suppose I had been too focused on the "fading memory" aspect that I hadn’t considered those possible interpretations. I guess art really can be whatever you want it to be. Curator: Exactly! Each piece can become a little more wonderful, as we pull back its curtains one at a time. Editor: This was cool. Thank you. Curator: Indeed. Thank you, too.