Figuurstudies 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing, Figuurstudies, with a pencil on paper. Look at the smudges, the thin lines, and the erasures – I can imagine Israels rapidly capturing these figures on the page. I wonder what he was thinking. It reminds me of when I paint, constantly adjusting, layering, and excavating until a form begins to emerge, and then I work some more. These marks show the artist searching for something. It's so simple, just a few lines, but they give you so much information. I can see their posture, their clothing, even a sense of the space they occupy. Painters are always looking, and I think it is important to remember that we're all in conversation, artists speaking to one another through time. It is nice to think that something so seemingly simple and throwaway, like a quick sketch, is a valuable thing to leave behind.