Figuurstudies c. 1930 - 1934

This is "Figuurstudies" by Isaac Israels, a study in pencil on paper. The lines are so economical, aren't they? It’s like Israels is thinking through the image right in front of us. You can sense the hand moving, almost feeling the pressure of the pencil. Look at the lower right corner, that cluster of lines. What is it? A piece of furniture? Maybe a window frame? I love how Israels doesn’t bother to fully define it. He just gives us the barest suggestion, leaving it up to our imaginations to fill in the gaps. It’s a bit like a Cy Twombly, but with figures, a shorthand, immediate and personal. It celebrates the joy of looking and the simple pleasure of making marks. It reminds me that art is as much about the process of discovery as it is about the final product.