Figuren, mogelijk deels onder een afdak 1921 - 1922

This drawing, Figuren, mogelijk deels onder een afdak, was made with pencil on paper by Isaac Israels. It’s all about the bare bones of seeing, those initial, exploratory marks. Israels is feeling his way through form here, not too dissimilar from how I approach a canvas. It’s less about what you're depicting, and more the sensation of searching for it. The tentative, almost scribbled quality of the lines creates a sense of immediacy, like a fleeting impression captured in real-time. Notice how the figures emerge from a web of delicate strokes, their forms suggested rather than defined, and consider the ghost of a structure, perhaps a shelter, looming behind them. It’s a reminder that art isn’t about perfection or resolution, but about the journey of seeing and feeling. Like Cy Twombly, Israels shows us how the raw, unfiltered mark can convey more than any polished representation.