Kozakkenkoor 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing called Kozakkenkoor with pencil on paper. Look at those scribbly strokes! They capture the feeling of a choir in full voice, a sense of layered sound. Israels is figuring out what the essence of a group of singers looks like. Imagine him in the scene trying to get the whole thing down quickly before the moment is gone. It makes me think about Degas, how he was so obsessed with the ballet. Israels here is obsessed with the visual rhythm of the Cossack choir. Those hatching lines create a sense of volume and shadow, and they bring the singers to life on the page. Painters are in conversation with each other, and this drawing feels like Israels adding his voice to the mix. It's like he’s saying, "Here’s my take on capturing a fleeting moment, a feeling, a sound, with just a few marks."