Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 11 1875 - 1934

This work, called 'Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 11' - which translates as 'Rubbing of the crayon drawing on page 11' - was made by Isaac Israels using chalk. There's a real simplicity here, isn't there? Just a few strokes of grey chalk pulled across the page, like a fleeting thought. The texture is everything; you can almost feel the grain of the chalk as it moves. Look at how the pressure varies, creating areas of depth and light. It's like he's searching for something, letting the material lead the way. I'm reminded of Cy Twombly, in that sense, where the act of mark-making becomes a kind of dance. It really emphasizes how art can be less about capturing a likeness and more about capturing a feeling, a moment in time. It reminds us that art is an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time. Ultimately, embracing ambiguity is where the magic happens.