Abklatsch van de krijttekening op blad 21 verso 1875 - 1934

This transfer drawing was made by Isaac Israels, probably around the turn of the century, using a greasy crayon. It's all about touch and transference, isn't it? The thing that grabs me is the powdery residue, this ghost of an image. See how the figures almost dissolve into the paper? It's a good reminder that drawing is also about rubbing, smudging, and erasing. That artmaking is a process of constant adjustments. You can almost feel the pressure of the artist's hand, smearing the crayon across the surface. Those dark smudges suggest a figure, but it’s more like a memory of a form. Degas comes to mind, especially his monotypes, where he explored similar ideas of fleeting impressions and blurred realities. The way he captured movement and light reminds us that art is often about capturing the ephemeral, the in-between moments that exist only in our perception.