Gezicht op de Gasthuismolensteeg te Amsterdam, gezien vanuit Herengracht 232 c. 1892 - 1900

Isaac Israels made this drawing of the Gasthuismolensteeg in Amsterdam using charcoal on paper. Here, the artist engages with a readily available material – charcoal – to create an image with both immediacy and depth. Look at the bold strokes and smudges, where the charcoal is applied with varying pressure to define architectural forms, capture the overall atmosphere of the cityscape, and render the reflections on the canal waters. Notice the texture of the paper, which interacts with the charcoal to create subtle tonal variations, adding to the drawing's vibrancy. The use of charcoal, traditionally a preparatory material, lends the work an experimental feel. Israels’s choice of material is significant, aligning with the ethos of modern art, where the process and the inherent qualities of the medium become central to the artistic expression. It challenges the traditional hierarchies within art, valuing direct, expressive mark-making as much as the subject itself. By emphasizing the act of drawing and the materiality of charcoal, Israels invites us to reconsider the boundaries between sketch and finished artwork.