Staande man, op de rug gezien c. 1886 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing called 'Standing Man, Seen From the Back', with pencil on paper. I find it really interesting how Israels approaches mark-making. It's so loose, almost like he's feeling his way around the image. The texture is all in the pencil strokes, varying from light smudges to dark, emphatic lines, and you can almost see the energy of his hand as he worked. Look at the way he suggests the man's coat with just a few flicks of the pencil, and how the shading around the figure gives him weight and presence. The way the figure is placed off-center creates a sense of movement, as if he's about to walk out of the frame. It reminds me of some of Degas' drawings, where he's capturing a fleeting moment with incredible economy and grace. It's like Israels is having a conversation with the paper. It’s about the process, the act of seeing and translating that into a physical gesture. It shows us that art is not about perfection, but about exploration.