Twee staande mannen, mogelijk soldaten c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this sketch of two standing men, possibly soldiers, with graphite on paper. It’s fascinating to imagine the moment of creation, right? I mean, how the artist is feeling, what they’re thinking, and how it all translates through the hand onto the page. Look at these quickly drawn lines. You can feel the artist trying to capture a fleeting moment, the essence of these figures with minimal strokes. There's a real sense of immediacy. It's like Israels is thinking through drawing, using line to explore form and space. This sketch reminds me of other artists, like Degas, who used drawing to capture figures in motion. And like them, Israels' work celebrates the everyday, finding beauty in the ordinary. Artists are always in conversation, you know? Israels's sketch invites us to think about drawing as a process of discovery, a way to see and understand the world. It’s a constant exchange of ideas across time, inspiring each other's creativity.