Sjouwende jongen, op de rug gezien c. 1886 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a young boy carrying something heavy, we see him from the back, in a sketchbook. The marks are scratchy and quick, like he was trying to capture a fleeting moment, a sense of movement, of weight. I love the way the lines are so raw and immediate, you can almost feel the charcoal or pencil moving across the page. Look at the way he suggests the folds in the boy's clothing with just a few strokes, and the way the shadow on the ground anchors him to the space. The hat, especially, seems to hover between representation and abstraction, just a few lines that somehow convey the idea of a hat. It’s this kind of economy and directness that makes drawing so powerful. This piece reminds me a little of Käthe Kollwitz's drawings of working-class people – a similar empathy and attention to the everyday struggles of ordinary lives. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to be grand or polished; it can be a simple, honest record of what it means to be human.