Ezelrijden op het strand c. 1890 - 1920

This drawing, ‘Ezelrijden op het strand’ or ‘Donkey Riding on the Beach’ was made by Isaac Israels with pencil on paper. It's all about process, isn't it? Looking at it, I'm reminded that art is really just a conversation with the materials. Here, the surface tone of the paper peeks through, almost like the drawing hasn't been fully committed to. Those sketchy lines create movement, capturing a fleeting moment. They're layered but direct, and they build a rhythm that makes you want to lean into the motion of the donkeys. Take a look at the right-hand-side of the work, at the legs of the child sitting on the donkey, notice how the artist allows the lines to build a form rather than precisely define it. It reminds me a little of Degas’ drawings, where the line becomes a way of thinking through the subject. It's this kind of openness that makes art interesting, don't you think?