Staande figuur 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this sketch, ‘Standing Figure’, with pencil on paper. It’s all about the energy of the line, isn’t it? It feels like he’s trying to catch a fleeting glimpse, a sense of movement. Look at how the lines vary – some are dark and emphatic, others are light and almost hesitant. See that strong vertical line moving down through the middle of the body – there's a real confidence there. Then compare it with the wispy, blurred lines around the edges. It gives the impression that the figure is emerging from a mist. You can feel his hand moving, searching for the form, rather than rigidly defining it. Israels reminds me of Degas in the way he captures everyday life, but there's something uniquely modern about his mark-making. He's not afraid to leave things unfinished, to let the process show. And isn’t that what art is, an ongoing conversation, a dance between intention and accident?