Figuurstudies c. 1930 - 1934

Isaac Israels made these ‘Figure Studies’ with pencil on paper. I love to think about the artist in the act of drawing, capturing a fleeting moment or a gesture. Here, a couple of scribbled, scratchy lines define the figures, emerging from a space of pure potential. In the upper right, notice the concentration of marks. The lines are a little more compact, a little darker, maybe capturing the sitter’s head. What was he thinking at the time? What kind of connection existed between the artist and the model? I see Israels searching for the essence of his subject through a series of intuitive marks. He seemed less concerned with perfect representation than with capturing a sense of movement, presence, or feeling. Artists are always in dialogue, building on the traditions of the past while exploring new ways of seeing and experiencing the world. I hope this drawing inspires you to create something new today.