Toeschouwers op een theaterbalkon c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this drawing, 'Toeschouwers op een theaterbalkon', with what looks like a graphite pencil, judging from the silvery sheen on the paper. Israels seems to have been sketching in real-time at the theatre, capturing a moment in time, the flux of performance and audience. I can almost imagine the low lighting and hushed atmosphere, the tension between audience and performer. How do you capture that sense of anticipation, the feeling of people in the dark, with just the light of the stage? The artist does it through marks that give you what you need, and no more. It's not overworked, leaving us, the viewers, to fill in the blanks. Look at how the repetitive marks build up to describe form. Each mark is a little like a breath. And the drawing surface itself, the grain of the paper, plays a huge role. I think the artist captures the feeling of being a spectator. It makes me want to pick up my own pencil and sketch.