Schetsboek LXIII met 23 bladen c. 1886 - 1934

This is Isaac Israels' sketchbook, one of many, dating back to the late 19th and early 20th century. It’s filled with 23 blank pages just waiting to be filled. I can imagine Israels, with the blank pages in front of him, thinking, "What to do? What to do?" Maybe he was looking out of the window and sketching figures on the streets of Paris, or maybe he was in his studio, surrounded by props and models, trying to capture the essence of a fleeting moment. It makes me think about my own process. Sometimes, the blank canvas can be intimidating, but it’s also full of possibility. There is freedom in not knowing, in the potential to create something new. This simple object is a reminder that art is a journey, a process of constant exploration and discovery. These pages would have been his companion, holding his fleeting thoughts and observations. Each mark, each line, a step in his artistic journey.