Bovenlichaam van een figuur 1834 - 1911

This is a pencil sketch of a figure's upper body, made by Jozef Israëls. It's easy to overlook a sketch like this, but I think it can reveal quite a lot about the artistic process. Look closely, and you can see the artist feeling his way into the image, line by line. The pencil, as a medium, is so direct. It’s just graphite on paper, a really simple conjunction of materials. The hand controls the pencil, and the pressure of the hand determines the darkness of the line. Think about the social context too. Israëls lived in a time of huge industrial expansion, where the status of hand work was being challenged. Yet here he is, using this humble medium to give form to his ideas, and connect with a tradition of drawing that goes back centuries. Ultimately, this sketch reminds us that art isn't just about the finished product; it's also about the process of making, and the human connection to materials.