Man met hoofddeksel 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of a man with a hat, probably in a sketchbook, using some kind of graphite implement. I love the casual, off-the-cuff quality of the marks. It's so immediate, like Israels was trying to capture a fleeting impression. Look at the way he renders the man’s face. It’s just a cluster of scribbled lines, but somehow, they coalesce into a recognizable likeness. The hat, too, is just a few quick strokes, but it totally reads as a hat. You can almost feel the texture of the paper, those horizontal lines cutting through the image, adding another layer of visual information. It’s not about perfection or realism. It’s about the energy of the gesture, the act of seeing and recording in real time. It reminds me a little of Van Gogh's drawings, where the line is so alive and expressive. Both artists share a sense of urgency, like they’re trying to capture something essential before it disappears. Art isn’t about answers, it's about asking questions, embracing the messy, imperfect process of making.