Abklatsch van de krijttekening op blad 5 recto 1887 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this chalk drawing, Abklatsch van de krijttekening op blad 5 recto, on paper, but the date is unknown. It’s faded now, this ephemeral sketch, and hard to read. I can almost feel Isaac Israels hovering over the page, chalk in hand, trying to capture something fleeting. Maybe the ghost of a figure. Did he like it? Did he hate it? Did he try to wipe it away? I imagine him rubbing the drawing with his fingers to soften the harsh lines. Look at how the chalk is pressed into the page. It's like he wanted to leave a trace of his presence. It reminds me that drawing, like painting, is a conversation with oneself, with the materials, and with the world. And here we are, years later, still talking about it.