Staande en zittende mannen 1875 - 1934

This undated drawing titled 'Standing and Seated Men' is by Isaac Israels and is in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Executed in sketchy graphite lines, the composition is a flurry of hatching that coalesce into suggestive figures, their forms dissolving into abstraction. The artist prioritizes gesture and form, rather than detail. The quick, decisive marks create a sense of dynamism as the figures are rendered through a network of intersecting lines and tonal variations. The forms of the men emerge from the chaotic network of lines, but simultaneously seem to retreat back into it, and never fully materialize. The structural tension between representation and abstraction destabilizes conventional notions of form and space. Israels seems less concerned with capturing a realistic depiction of the men and instead captures the energy of the moment. This evokes a broader shift toward modern art's interest in capturing fleeting impressions rather than stable, fixed representations. The drawing functions not merely as a study, but also as an exploration of the materiality of the medium.