Interieur met staande en zittende figuren 1921 - 1922

Isaac Israels made this drawing, 'Interieur met staande en zittende figuren', using graphite on paper. Look at that flurry of lines! You can almost feel the artist, Israels, mapping out the space, figuring out where everyone sits and stands. It’s like a dance of observation, trying to catch the fleeting moment. You can sense the concentration, and also the freedom of the artist. I wonder what he was thinking while rapidly mapping out the space? Was he trying to capture the essence of the room, or maybe just playing around with the shapes and forms? Either way, you can see Israels totally in his element, working through the composition. It feels like a glimpse into his artistic process – a little like peeking into his brain while he’s thinking! You can almost hear him muttering to himself as he decides where to place the figures. It makes me wonder what other secrets this drawing holds about his wider practice.