Het standbeeld van Willem de Zwijger op het Noordeinde te 's-Gravenhage 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this sketch of the statue of William the Silent at Noordeinde in The Hague with pen and ink on paper. Israels's pen strokes are so casual, so brisk, they almost feel tossed off. But look closer, especially at the horse, and you can see how the density of the marks creates a sense of volume and movement, like a storm passing through. The textures are so raw and direct, the architecture behind the statue is barely there. The way the pen just scratches the surface, it's like he’s getting right to the heart of the subject matter, the statue, a monument, but a lived one, in a real place. His contemporary John Singer Sargent used a similar technique, both were masters of capturing a likeness with a bare minimum of fuss, making sure that line did the work. With a few strokes Israels reminds us that art is not about answers, but about the questions we ask along the way.