Abklatsch van de krijttekening op blad 17 verso 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels created this print, "Abklatsch van de krijttekening op blad 17 verso," by transferring a chalk drawing, probably sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Looking at this print, I imagine Israels in his studio, chalk in hand, sketching rapidly. Did he press the chalk drawing onto another surface intentionally, or was this image a happy accident? Maybe he was restless, searching for something new in the act of reproduction, of copying. See how the chalk clings and fades, creating a ghostly impression. There are hints of figures, perhaps a person wearing a hat? These textures remind me of Cy Twombly’s scribbled surfaces, where the act of mark-making becomes a dance between intention and chance. It’s like a conversation across time, artists echoing and responding to one another's experiments. This piece is a reminder that the most interesting art often emerges from play.