Figuurstudies c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels created "Figuurstudies" using pencil on paper. It's a study sheet, full of sketches of figures, a kind of workshop of the eye. Look closely, and you'll see how the pencil lines vary in weight and intensity, giving the figures depth. The artist worked rapidly, focusing on capturing the essence of movement, of figures in active poses. The immediacy and rawness of "Figuurstudies" speaks to the artist's engagement with urban life. Israels was known for his depictions of working-class subjects and city life, and we can imagine that he sketched these figures while observing scenes in the streets, markets, or perhaps even in cabarets. The sketch may not have been intended as a finished work of art in itself, but such rapid studies were crucial to the work of an artist. The drawing embodies an immediacy not typically on display, and reminds us of the work involved in creating artworks. It challenges the traditional idea of artistic creation, opening up the process to the viewer.