Sokkel van het beeld van Perseus en Medusa op het Piazza della Signoria te Florence c. 1923 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of the base of the Perseus statue in Florence with what looks like ink on paper. It's all sketchy lines, right? But sometimes, those quick gestures can capture something really special. I'm imagining Israels standing there, maybe a little sweaty, trying to get the essence of this monument down. What's cool is how he focuses on the base – it's like he's thinking about what holds up the story, the foundation. You can see the shadow of Cellini looming over the artist's shoulder. All the details are lost, but that's painting: It's not about being literal. It reminds me of some of Cy Twombly's scribbly drawings, where the hand just dances across the page. It’s like Israels is chatting with other artists across time, saying, "Hey, let’s find the energy in the thing, not just the thing itself.” It shows how painting is always an exchange, a back-and-forth, and an attempt to capture the world and its stories.