Figuren, mogelijk aan een bar of toonbank 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this sketch of figures, possibly at a bar, with graphite on paper. What strikes me is the economy of line, a few strokes to capture a fleeting moment. I can imagine Israels, maybe in a smoky café, quickly trying to capture the essence of the scene before it shifts and changes. The lines are tentative, searching, almost like he's feeling his way through the crowd. There's a real sense of movement and energy, a kind of raw immediacy that I find so appealing. The surface feels almost untouched, as if he wanted to preserve the freshness of his initial impression. It reminds me a bit of Degas, his ability to capture the ephemeral quality of modern life. What does this scene mean? What are they doing? It's a puzzle, an invitation to participate in the act of seeing and wondering.