Portret van een onbekende man met hoed, in profiel c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this drawing of an unknown man with a hat in profile. It's just a sketch, a quick one, full of light and air. I imagine him, Israels, standing there, pencil in hand, watching this guy. What was he like, this man? What was his story? Israels captures his likeness with these confident strokes. I love how the shading suggests the roundness of his face and hat. Look at the lines creating texture! See the cross-hatching near the top of the hat, the soft, subtle lines forming the man's brow. It is confident and playful, isn't it? Israels's mark-making feels so intuitive, like he's just letting his hand dance across the paper. I feel his presence in those marks. Think of other artists like Van Gogh, constantly sketching and drawing. It's all part of the same conversation between artists and their subjects. Each one inspiring the other across time.