Studies van een man in jacquet 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made these Studies of a Man in a Frock Coat with a dry medium, maybe charcoal or conte crayon. Look how the artist attacked the paper to get these furtive impressions down. Each mark is a quick observation, a record of movement and shape. I can imagine Israels's hand flying across the page, trying to capture the essence of the figure in as few strokes as possible. It reminds me a bit of Daumier, but with a lighter touch, less biting satire. He’s trying to work out the geometry of the body in space; it feels like he is feeling his way around his subject. I love how the texture of the paper peeks through the marks, creating a kind of visual vibration. Each smudge and line feels intentional, a little burst of energy. It shows us the artist is in conversation with others - artists are always teaching each other, across time. Painting is embodied expression, an embrace of ambiguity and uncertainty.