Man met baard en baret c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this sketch of a man with beard and beret with pencil on paper. Pencil on paper sketches like this one often served as preliminary studies for larger works, allowing the artist to quickly capture the essence of a subject. The immediacy of the medium is evident in the loose, gestural lines that define the figure. The artist's hand is very present. You can almost see the artist moving, looking for the figure on the page. Drawing is traditionally seen as the foundation of all visual arts, and a skill honed through rigorous practice and academic training. Yet, the sketch also represents a democratic medium, accessible to anyone with basic materials and the desire to express themselves. This artwork invites us to reconsider the value we place on finished, polished artworks versus the raw, expressive potential of the artistic process itself.