Figuurstudies 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made these figure studies using pencil on paper, and you can really sense the artist working through the figures, line by line. It’s all about the surface here, or rather, the lack of it; the absence of colour and tone throws the emphasis onto the artist’s process. Israels maps out the figures with an economy of line, a kind of drawing shorthand that is more felt than seen. Note the middle figure, and the lines which suggest a sleeve or arm extended towards us – it’s barely there, but somehow the impression is vivid. This piece reminds me of Giacometti’s drawings, the way both artists use repetition and layering to create a sense of depth and movement. The beauty of these studies lies in their ambiguity, inviting us to complete the picture in our own minds.