Staande figuur met handen in de zakken c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this drawing, "Standing Figure with Hands in Pockets" without a date, using what looks like a graphite pencil on paper. It's all about the speed of seeing and how the artist chooses to capture a fleeting moment. Israels is playing with mark-making here; look at the density of lines that create shadows and volume. The hatching around the figure's jacket shows the weight of the fabric, the casualness of the pose. Notice how the face is barely there, just a few quick strokes, yet it conveys so much. This drawing feels so immediate, almost like a note to oneself. I like to think of artists like Israels as visual diarists, capturing bits of life as it unfolds. It reminds me of Degas and his sketches of dancers – that same sense of capturing movement and atmosphere with incredible efficiency. Art is often about the conversation between artists across time, each responding to and building upon what came before, isn't it?