Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 34 recto 1834 - 1911

This is a transfer or "Abklatsch" of a chalk drawing by Jozef Israëls. This one is on page 34 of the recto. Now, the process of transfer is itself revealing. It acknowledges the ephemeral nature of chalk, a medium that can easily be smudged or erased. By taking a print from it, Israëls fixes the image, gives it a new life on paper. The texture created by the chalk is crucial to the artwork's appearance. Note the soft, granular quality, which lends itself well to depicting atmospheric effects, like fog or haze. It feels almost like a photographic negative, capturing the light and shadow of a scene in reverse. We might think about the social context here, too. Chalk drawings were often studies, preliminary sketches for larger paintings. Transferring the image, in effect, democratizes it, making it available for wider circulation. This action collapses the hierarchy between the original artwork, the chalk drawing, and the reproduction of the "Abklatsch". This highlights the importance of material processes and context to the broader meaning of art.