Schetsboek L met 41 bladen 1875 - 1934

This little sketchbook with 41 pages was made by Isaac Israels sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. It is small and unassuming, but as an artist, I can tell you that sketchbooks are places of true freedom. Imagine Israels, wandering around, pulling this out to capture a fleeting moment. The brown cover has this lovely worn quality, which makes me think about its age and use. I wonder what kind of paper is inside and how the pencil or ink would have felt gliding across the surface? I bet it holds all sorts of experiments, false starts, and sudden bursts of insight. It reminds me of my own studio practice—always searching, always questioning. Artists are constantly in conversation with each other, across time and space, riffing off each other's ideas and techniques. Ultimately, art isn't about having all the answers, but about embracing the questions. It's about seeing the world in new ways and inviting others to do the same.