Annotatie c. 1923 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this annotation, presumably in the Netherlands, with the intention of adding to it later. I imagine Israels holding this page, considering his next move. Maybe he was distracted? It feels like a pause, a breath before a plunge. The annotation itself is like a whisper, "Mm, Dulan," written with what looks like graphite. You know, sometimes the most exciting part of a painting is the beginning, that moment before anything is really there. It’s like the artist is in a conversation with the void, trying to coax something into existence. This work reminds me that artists are in constant dialogue with each other, across time. I think about Cy Twombly, and his scribbled, poetic gestures. Each mark carries intention, even when it appears random, because painting is, after all, an embodied expression. It embraces ambiguity and uncertainty. Like this work.