Twee dansparen 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this charcoal sketch of dancing couples at an undetermined date, and it’s currently at the Rijksmuseum. The way he builds the image out of quick, searching lines really emphasizes the process of looking and finding. I love the feel of the charcoal on the page, it’s so immediate, so physical. Look how he uses these bold strokes to suggest the movement and energy of the dancers, almost like he’s trying to capture a fleeting moment. It’s not about perfect representation but about the feeling of the dance, the rhythm, the connection between the partners. There’s something so raw and honest about it. Israels reminds me a little of Degas, particularly his drawings of dancers, but there’s an earthiness here, a kind of directness, that feels very personal. I think what’s so compelling about this piece is that it embraces the incomplete, the unresolved. It invites us to fill in the blanks, to bring our own experiences and emotions to the dance.