Abklatsch van de krijttekening op blad 4 recto 1887 - 1934

This transfer drawing by Isaac Israels lives at the Rijksmuseum. Looking at it, I imagine the artist making the original drawing, pressing it down, transferring the image, and repeating the process… a whole dance of mark-making, action, and accident. I sympathize with the artist—it is a subtle, beautiful work with shades of grey. I picture him alone in his studio, intensely focused. He knows the power and limitations of this one color. He is using the bare minimum to create a representational image. You can see the figure in the drawing, yet it is also an abstraction due to the transfer process. The marks have a life of their own. It reminds me of other artists like Jasper Johns, known for his use of grey tones. They share an interest in how the most basic materials can become charged with meaning. Ultimately, art making is a conversation. Each artist builds upon what came before, discovering new possibilities in the act of creation. There is an openness to the artwork, embracing ambiguity, inviting new ideas to emerge, and allowing the work to take on a life of its own.