Annotaties c. 1919

This page of Annotaties was produced by Isaac Israels using graphite on paper. Isn't it fascinating how a simple thing like handwriting can be so expressive? Just look at the texture, the way the graphite catches on the page. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the surface, sometimes with quick, assertive strokes, other times with a lighter, more hesitant touch. The writing isn't so much about what it says, but how it feels. See how the writing dances and weaves across the page. Think about Cy Twombly, another artist who understood the power of the written mark. Like Twombly, Israels shows us that art isn't just about making something pretty, it’s about the messy, imperfect process of thinking and feeling. And in that sense, isn't life just a series of annotations?