Abklatsch van de krijttekening op blad 6 recto 1875 - 1934

This is a chalk drawing by Isaac Israels, made at an unknown date, which you can see here at the Rijksmuseum. The drawing shows the imprint from a chalk drawing, and it invites us to consider the nature of drawing as a practice. The texture of the paper plays a big role here. You can see the tooth of the surface, which creates a slightly broken, granulated line. Chalk is a very direct medium. It allows an artist to quickly capture an impression, making it ideal for sketches and studies, as is the case here. The process leaves traces, literally. What we are seeing here is not the original, but rather the trace left on the adjacent page of the sketchbook. This work is a reminder that every creative act is a form of labor. It asks us to consider the relationship between the artist’s hand, the materials they use, and the images that result. By focusing on the process of creation, we can appreciate the skill and effort that goes into making art.