Musicerende figuren 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this sketch of musical figures with pencil on paper sometime in his lifetime. Israels wasn't aiming for a finished picture; instead, he's feeling around for something, trying to capture the essence of these figures, of music, through a kind of shorthand. The lines are so alive, not precious at all, more like the energy of a doodle. The materiality is front and center, the texture of the paper and the grain of the pencil are all part of the experience, a glimpse into the artist's process, as if you are looking over his shoulder. Check out the way the lines thicken and thin, suggesting volume and space with such efficiency, particularly on the left side of the composition. It reminds me of Cy Twombly, in the way it manages to be both direct and allusive. Ultimately, it's this ambiguity, this open-endedness, that makes the sketch so compelling, allowing us to project our own ideas and feelings onto the page.