Abklatsch van de krijttekening op blad 25 verso 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing on paper, probably with charcoal or chalk, and it feels almost accidental, like a ghost of another drawing. I love these kinds of pieces, where the artist is just kinda feeling around, letting the image emerge slowly. You can almost feel Isaac Israels there in the studio, squinting, maybe muttering to himself, trying to capture something fleeting. What was he thinking, what was he looking at? The lines are so tentative, so searching, like he's not quite sure what he's after. There's a vulnerability in that, a willingness to embrace uncertainty, that I find really appealing. It reminds me of my own process, the way I start a painting without a clear plan, just letting the marks guide me. It’s as if artists are forever in conversation with each other, across time and space, riffing on each other's ideas, pushing the boundaries of what painting can be. It’s this messy, beautiful, ongoing experiment.