Abklatsch van de krijttekening op blad 17 recto 1875 - 1934

This transfer of a chalk drawing was made by Isaac Israels, though it's not clear exactly when. What I love about it is how process is foregrounded. You can really see the trace of chalk on paper, the way the image has been transferred. The material aspects of this work are so simple: chalk, paper, the act of pressing one against the other. It’s so fragile and delicate, but the way the chalk is so grainy and powdery, it’s almost sculptural. There's a kind of ghostliness to the image. Look at the form, vaguely humanoid, but also like a smudge or a stain. It’s there, but barely. It reminds me of some of the photograms made by Man Ray, in that both artists are interested in the way an image comes into being through light and chemical reactions. Both highlight the process of making, leaving us space to wonder about the image, and art, and life itself.