Twee verklede figuren c. 1930 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this quick sketch of two figures in costume with graphite on paper. The lines feel so immediate, like he’s trying to capture a fleeting moment, or maybe a memory. I love how Israels isn’t afraid to leave things unresolved. There’s a beautiful ambiguity in the way the figures overlap and blend together. The marks are thin, and quick – you can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the page. There’s something really intimate about that, like you’re getting a glimpse into their creative process. Look at the way the lines thicken and darken around the head of the figure at the top, it draws your eye and gives the image a focal point. It reminds me a bit of some of Degas’ sketches, where he’s just trying to capture the essence of a figure in motion. It's like a visual shorthand, a way of communicating something essential without getting bogged down in details. It’s a reminder that art isn’t about perfection, it’s about expression and exploration.