Abklatsch van een potloodtekening c. 1885 - 1911

This is a pencil drawing by Jozef Israëls, but it's a drawing only visible in our mind's eye. An imprint of a drawing, it reminds us of Plato's cave, where we only see shadows of what is real. The blank page might be an invitation—or a challenge. It beckons the viewer to ask, “What drawing once was here?” It is a site of pure potential, carrying latent images yet unseen. Just as palimpsests reveal layers of previous writings, the 'abklatsch' hints at something prior—an earlier state that haunts the present. This notion resonates with Freud's concept of the "fort-da" game, where absence becomes a powerful presence. In our memories, and our subconscious, absence evokes as strong an emotional response as presence. Though faint, these 'shadows' speak volumes, reminding us that art is as much about what we don't see as what we do.