Theatervoorstelling c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this sketch, titled Theatervoorstelling, with pencil on paper. What I love about sketches like this is the immediate, process-based quality they exude; it’s all about catching a feeling, an impression, as quickly as possible. Look at the density of the hatching in the middle of the page, which suggests a figure, perhaps, shrouded in shadow or obscured by the crowd. There’s a real energy to these marks, a sense of the artist’s hand moving rapidly across the page trying to capture the fleeting moment. In contrast, some of the other lines are much lighter and more tentative, as if the artist is feeling their way around the subject, exploring different possibilities. Israels was part of the Amsterdam Impressionism movement, influenced by artists like Manet and Degas. Like them, he was interested in capturing modern life, in all its vibrant chaos and fleeting beauty. This sketch is a great example of how artists throughout time speak to each other, borrowing and transforming ideas, and showing that art is really one big conversation.