Zeilboten bij een waterkant 1834 - 1911

This sketch of sailboats by Jozef Israëls was made with charcoal on paper. It's a quick study, a preliminary thought, and not an attempt at a finished picture. The grainy texture of the charcoal lends itself well to capturing the atmospheric conditions of the waterside; you can almost feel the dampness in the air. Israëls drags the charcoal across the textured paper in broad strokes and more controlled lines, varying the pressure to build up the composition. This humble material allowed Israëls to achieve a remarkable tonal range, from almost imperceptible grays to dense blacks. In his time, charcoal wasn’t a medium associated with high art, but rather for cartoons, preparatory drawings, or academic studies. But Israëls, like many artists of his generation, was interested in capturing everyday life, and the immediacy of charcoal lends itself perfectly to this aim. It reminds us that even the simplest of materials, when handled with skill and vision, can be used to produce effects of great subtlety and depth.