Annotaties 1875 - 1934

This page, titled Annotaties, was made by Isaac Israels using graphite and paper. Can you imagine Israels in his studio, a quiet space filled with sketches, notes, and the tools of his craft? This work reminds me of the kind of notations, scribbles, and under-drawings that all painters make as part of their process. I am struck by how the writing, although simple and spare, invites us into his personal creative process. It feels like we’ve been given access to an intimate conversation between the artist and himself. It’s almost like we’ve found one of his sketchbooks! Israels was part of an exchange of ideas across time. Whether its impressionism or even conceptualism, artists find ways to leave their mark, to make their intentions and inspirations known in a kind of painterly dialogue. The best painting embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations and meaning over fixed readings.