Annotaties 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this work, Annotaties, using ink on paper. Just look at the free and flowing lines, the way the artist let the pen glide across the surface. I can picture Israels in his studio, lost in thought, as he jotted down these notes. You know, writing is a lot like painting in a way. You start with a blank canvas or a blank page, and then you start making marks and building up layers until something emerges. In this work, Israels is not just recording information, he is capturing a moment in time. I can almost feel the energy of his hand as he writes these words. Look at the way he forms each letter, the subtle variations in pressure and speed. It is like a dance of the hand and mind. What is he thinking? Perhaps his mind is elsewhere, his thoughts unfurling on the page as he tries to figure something out. It reminds me that art is all about communication; each generation influencing the next.