Figuurstudies 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made these figure studies with graphite on paper. It’s really about the pleasure of looking and recording, a kind of visual diary. The marks are economical and fast. There is a kind of raw honesty in the way the artist seems to be thinking through the forms, not trying to be too precious. Look at how Israels captures the weight of the seated figure, the way the lines suggest the body’s volume and the pressure against the surface. Then, above this, see the delicate, almost hesitant lines describing the faces. It’s like he’s whispering their presence onto the page. The sketchiness invites us to complete the image in our minds, engaging us in the act of seeing. You could almost see this as a conversation with someone like Degas, who also loved to capture fleeting moments and figures in motion. But where Degas might aim for a certain elegance, Israels has a more direct, unvarnished approach. It’s a reminder that art is not about perfection, but about the messy, beautiful process of trying to understand the world around us.