Annotaties c. 1919

This is Isaac Israels’ "Annotations," a page filled with addresses, probably jotted down in a small notebook. What grabs me is the casual, almost absent-minded quality of the handwriting. It's like seeing the ghost of a thought, barely there, yet undeniably present. The ink is faded, the paper aged, creating this delicate texture that speaks of time passing. The script itself has a rhythm, a kind of dance across the page. Look at the ‘S’ in “Strathmore” how it loops and curls – it’s less about perfect legibility and more about the pure pleasure of the line being drawn. It reminds me of Cy Twombly's scribbled paintings, where meaning is secondary to the act of mark-making itself. Both artists suggest that art is not about fixed meanings but rather about the ongoing conversation between hand, mind, and material. It’s like they’re saying, ‘Here’s a thought, a gesture, an echo – now you take it and run.’