Artiest op rolschaatsen 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing of an artist on roller skates with graphite on paper. There’s a real immediacy to it, you can almost feel the motion through these nervous, broken lines. It’s clear Israels was interested in capturing a sense of movement, the image is all about the energy of the moment. Look at how Israels used line to create form and space. It’s all about suggestion, isn't it? Nothing is really filled in. It’s a sketch in the truest sense, an attempt to grasp something fleeting and ephemeral. See that series of short, sharp lines towards the top, indicating the wall or barrier the roller skater is skating around? It’s almost like the hatching you find in comic books to indicate speed. I'm reminded of Degas’ sketches of ballerinas. Both artists are interested in capturing the body in motion, but there’s a different energy here. Where Degas is all about elegance and grace, Israels captures the raw, unpolished energy of the everyday. It’s like a snapshot, a fleeting glimpse into a world in constant motion.