Figuren op straat, bij regen c. 1886 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of figures in the rain on paper using charcoal, and it feels like he worked fast, maybe even while standing outside in the rain himself! I'm picturing Israels grabbing his sketchbook, trying to catch the fleeting movements of people as they hurried through the wet streets. You can almost feel the energy of his hand as he smudged the charcoal to create the blurry shapes of bodies and umbrellas. There’s a real urgency here; like he’s trying to capture a feeling more than a precise image. You know, looking at this sketch reminds me that drawing and painting is about capturing a moment, a feeling, an impression. It's not about perfection, but about the process of seeing and translating what you see onto paper or canvas. It's like a visual diary entry, full of scribbles, erasures, and happy accidents. And those accidents, those blurry lines, they're often the most interesting parts, right? They show the artist's hand, their struggle, their humanity. It's a conversation with the world, one mark at a time.