Figuren op straat, bij regen c. 1886 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this charcoal drawing of figures on a rainy street; it's all tone and movement. I can almost smell the wet pavement! It's funny, looking at this, I think about trying to catch a feeling, or a moment. I can imagine Israels out there, maybe a little damp, quickly trying to get the essence of the scene down before the rain washes it all away, or the light changes. Look at the marks! Some are smudged and soft, others are sharp and quick – real staccato marks. Israels is probably trying to get at something beyond just a picture of people in the rain, right? It feels like he is capturing the mood, the energy of the street. It makes me think about other artists too, like Whistler, or even some of the Impressionists. There is an exchange of ideas there, a conversation happening across time, each artist responding to the world in their own way. Painting can really be a way of seeing.