Man met baard en twee mannen in wapenrusting 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing, Man with Beard and Two Men in Armor, with chalk. What I love about this sketch is how the artist is feeling his way through the forms. Look at how he renders the beard – it’s not about filling in every hair, but about capturing the essence, the weight of it. There’s this wonderful patch of shadow on the right, almost like a dark cloud, and then these lighter strokes suggesting the gleam of armor. It's like Israels is letting his hand wander, discovering the shapes as he goes. This drawing reminds me of the work of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner – that same interest in raw, expressive lines. You can see how artists throughout history have used drawing as a way to think, to explore, to leave a record of their minds at work. It's not about perfection; it's about the journey.