Staande man en vrouw 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing, "Standing Man and Woman," with pencil, and the Rijksmuseum holds it now. Isn't it cool how a few lines can suggest so much? I'm really drawn to the simplicity here. It feels like Israels was just trying to capture a fleeting moment, a quick impression. The lines are so tentative, almost like he's feeling his way around the figures. Look at the way he's used shading to create a sense of depth, especially in the man's jacket. It's amazing how much information he conveys with so little detail. It reminds me of some of Degas' drawings, where he's also capturing these candid, everyday moments. It's like they're both part of this ongoing conversation about how to see and represent the world around us. It’s like, what do we keep in and what do we take out to still say something?