Ruiter en figuren op straat 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing, ‘Ruiter en figuren op straat’ with crayon, and what strikes me is how much information he conveys with so little. It feels like the drawing happened fast. The marks are decisive, capturing the movement and energy of a street scene. Look at the horse and rider; they’re built from a series of quick, overlapping strokes. The crayon is applied with varying pressure, creating depth and shadow with just a few lines. I like how the texture of the paper becomes part of the drawing, giving it a raw, immediate quality. It's less about perfect representation and more about capturing a fleeting impression. The whole thing reminds me of some of the early sketches by Manet, where the process of seeing and recording becomes the subject of the artwork itself. It’s like Israels is saying, "Here’s what I saw, and here’s how I saw it." The drawing invites us to participate in that act of seeing, to complete the image in our own minds.