Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 25 c. 1886 - 1903

Isaac Israels made this print, Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 25, which translates as 'pull' or 'impression' of the chalk drawing on page 25. The title suggests this is not a finished work, but rather an element of Israels's studio process, one of many steps on the way to a finished artwork. He was working in the Netherlands at the turn of the 20th century, a time when the institutions of art were beginning to come under scrutiny. Photography was becoming more widespread, and artists were questioning the need to produce highly finished and polished works that simply recorded reality. This print, with its rough and unfinished appearance, may be a reflection of that trend. It invites us to consider the role of the artist as someone who experiments with different techniques and approaches, rather than simply producing a perfect image. To understand Israels's place in the art world of his time, we might consult exhibition catalogs, reviews, and other documents that shed light on the social and institutional context in which he worked. In doing so, we can come to a richer understanding of the meaning and significance of his art.