Abklatsch van de krijttekening op blad 14 recto 1887 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this charcoal drawing, "Abklatsch van de krijttekening op blad 14 recto" on paper, and now it’s here at the Rijksmuseum. Looking at this work, I am reminded of my own studio practice. When I draw, there are usually several stages, and sometimes I like the rubbed-out ghost of an image as much as the finished thing. This drawing feels like that—an erasure, a palimpsest. I can imagine Israels lightly sketching the scene, maybe a building under construction, and then almost immediately, rubbing or blotting the image. See the vertical and horizontal lines that suggest scaffolding? Maybe he wanted to capture a fleeting impression, to create a sense of atmosphere and light. There is a tenderness here, a quiet, and an intimacy. I find myself thinking about Degas, also so interested in these kinds of ephemeral gestures. Ultimately, artists are in an ongoing conversation, exchanging ideas across time, and inspiring one another’s creativity.