Zittende jonge man 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a seated young man, with charcoal on paper. What hits you first is the energy, right? It's like he's trying to grab the form, not just describe it. Looking at the charcoal, it’s laid down in these distinct, directional strokes. See how around the cap and shoulders, there’s this intense build-up, almost a frenzy of marks? It's not just about shadow; it's about weight, presence, and almost a sense of the subject's internal state. And then the lighter, sketchier lines around the legs hint at the ephemeral nature of a quick study. This kind of raw, immediate mark-making reminds me of Käthe Kollwitz's drawings. Both artists share a dedication to capturing the essence of their subjects, not through perfect rendering, but through the expressive power of line and tone. It's about the restless exploration, the thinking-through-drawing, that I find so compelling. The beauty lies not just in what is shown, but in the trace of the artist's process.