Stadsgezicht 1875 - 1934

This city view by Isaac Israels is made with graphite on paper. It's all lines, angles, and a kind of scratchy texture that makes me think about the artist standing on the street, quickly trying to capture the scene around him. I can imagine Isaac Israels feeling the energy of the city, trying to put down the buildings, and the people moving by, without getting bogged down in the details. There’s a nervous energy in the marks he makes, like he’s racing against time. I especially like how the vertical lines create a sense of depth, even though it’s just a flat piece of paper. I think Israels is in conversation with other artists like Van Gogh, who also used drawing to capture the world around them. But Israels has his own voice, his own way of seeing. It’s exciting to see artists riffing off each other, pushing the boundaries of what drawing can do. Each artist makes something new.