Staande mannen, op de rug gezien 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this study, Staande mannen, op de rug gezien, with a stick of charcoal. I can just imagine Israels quickly sketching these figures in charcoal, trying to capture their fleeting presence, their very particular stance. Look how the light catches the shoulders of one man and the dark weight of another’s coat. What was he thinking as he worked? Was he trying to capture their individual character, or was he more interested in the play of light and shadow? I feel how Israels relished the physicality of the charcoal, how it crumbles and smudges on the page, and how he’s testing out different ways of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world. Each mark on the page, a record of a gesture, a moment of looking, almost like a conversation with the men he's drawing. It reminds me of some of Degas’ drawings, the way he uses line to capture movement and form. Artists are always in conversation with one another, riffing on each other's ideas, and pushing the boundaries of what painting can be.