Abklatsch van de tekening op blad 11 recto c. 1886 - 1934

Curator: At the Rijksmuseum, we find an intriguing piece listed as "Abklatsch van de tekening op blad 11 recto," attributed to Isaac Israels, and thought to originate sometime between 1886 and 1934. Editor: It’s… hazy. A series of indistinct verticals against the stark page, like ghostly columns in soft pencil. There's almost a palpable silence to its composition. Curator: “Abklatsch,” being German, suggests this is a copy or impression. Likely created by pressing another sheet against a still-wet drawing. Considering Israels’ work within the context of late 19th and early 20th century artistic circles in the Netherlands, these sketches would be working concepts. This kind of mark-making would let him repeat compositions, reuse motifs, a cost-effective strategy for any working artist. Editor: I see what you mean; there’s a practicality inherent in that approach, a kind of pre-photography reproducibility. It affects my reading of the drawing as a kind of echo or shadow. The blurring diminishes any precision. And yet, that lack of clarity almost enhances its effect. Look how the soft pencil suggests atmospheric perspective, hinting at form and space, though the detail is smudged. Curator: It's true. And this seemingly simple sketch speaks to the artist’s place in the wider development of modern art. Israels embraced the notion of art for the people, as we would see his mentor Jozef Israëls advocate a form of Realism and Naturalism concerned with daily life. Here we see it made tactile with its simple media. Editor: And for me it lies in how such an imprecise sketch captures an immediate visual impression. Even if accidental, there is something beautiful, haunting and aesthetically refined with his application. I am captivated by the softness of the tonal contrasts and its abstract qualities that would become so fashionable at the time. Curator: It is precisely that blending of intention and chance that renders these preparatory studies so compelling, I agree. It offers a candid look into the artist’s mind and the creative process. Editor: An echo indeed, of the labor and the visual experience.