Schetsboek XXVII met 8 bladen 1875 - 1934

This is Sketchbook XXVII with 8 sheets by Isaac Israels. Sketchbooks are so interesting, aren’t they? They give us a peek behind the curtain. I love the stains on this one, it’s definitely been through a lot. You can see writing on the cover, but I’m more interested in the marks that aren’t words. I wonder what those blotches are. Coffee? Paint? Tears? Maybe all three. You can just see the texture and the wear, like the ghosts of all the ideas it contains are seeping out. Imagine Israels carrying this around, always ready to capture a fleeting moment. And that reminds me of when I was in art school, I took my sketchbook everywhere, even on dates. Sketchbooks show how artists are always in the process of thinking and working, always taking notes, always watching. It’s like a painter’s version of a diary. And just as intimate.