Figuren in een interieur c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this drawing, "Figuren in een interieur," with pencil on paper, capturing figures in an interior setting. I really get a sense of Israels working through something with this piece, you know? It's like he's feeling his way through the space with the pencil. See how the lines aren't precious? They're searching, almost scribbled, building up the forms. And the shading – it's not about realism, it's more about feeling out the weight and presence of those figures. The sketchiness gives it a sense of immediacy, like we're catching a glimpse of a fleeting moment. The lines are raw, almost frantic in places. Israels really captures the energy of the moment, and it reminds me a bit of Degas’s sketches. Both artists share this knack for capturing the essence of their subjects with just a few strokes, embracing the unfinished and the ambiguous. It really highlights that art is more about the process of seeing and feeling than about creating a perfect representation.