Architectuurstudie c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this sketch of an architectural structure with graphite on paper. The speedy lines of the graphite suggest a quick study, maybe a way of understanding a scene that caught his eye as he walked by. The whole thing’s about marks; they are used to suggest a larger picture. Look at the long, shaded lines moving diagonally across the top right of the page; they look like they are describing a receding surface, like a wall or beam. Then, to the left of that we see some scribbled circles. These marks are so spare, so basic, but they bring a sense of depth to the piece. I guess Israels was thinking about light, space, and form, all at once. It makes me think of Matisse’s line drawings, where a whole volume is implied with one simple gesture. With just a few lines, he’s opened up a whole world.