Abklatsch van de krijttekening op blad 21 recto 1875 - 1934

Curator: What a wonderfully unassuming piece. This drawing, executed in pencil on paper, is called "Abklatsch van de krijttekening op blad 21 recto," dating roughly between 1875 and 1934, by Isaac Israels. It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Immediately I'm drawn in by the delicate and almost ghostly presence of these figures. There’s a quiet intimacy suggested by their sketched forms. A wisp of memory, perhaps? Curator: Yes, there is that ethereal quality, isn't there? Israels, an Impressionist, captured the fleeting moments of daily life. In its form and technique, we see Israels making an ‘abklatsch’, a copy from another page in a sketchbook. Perhaps a study, or just a quick impression taken from another work to develop at a later date. Editor: A sketchbook, ah that explains the spontaneous feel! It has the air of something jotted down in a cafe, stolen moments captured with incredible sensitivity. I wonder what they were talking about... Or is the more important part of their story in the silences? Curator: Silence is intrinsic to the symbolism. Sketches hold within them an incomplete language. Think of it like runes: Each line, seemingly simple, contains potential energy. The suggestion is just as important, if not more so, than definition. Look at the subtle nuances created simply by the varying weight of the pencil lines. Editor: Absolutely! The negative space becomes a palpable presence in this sketch. It defines them as much as the graphite does. It's the ghost of a thought, a feeling… a secret shared. A secret, incomplete, that you're left wanting to know more of. It hints to another deeper more elaborate completed piece. Curator: The impressionist period had an incredible interest in experimentation. In the sketch, we witness this intimate exploration with line, form, and ultimately, with feeling itself. Editor: Looking at this I feel inspired to dig out my own sketchbook and see what I might capture! These hints of figures spark my imagination. What a wonderful glimpse into an artist's mind and process.