Annotaties c. 1919

Editor: Here we have Isaac Israels' "Annotaties," a pencil drawing on paper from around 1919, currently held in the Rijksmuseum. It looks almost like a page torn from a travel journal. Scribbled notes, dates, place names...it feels so personal and immediate. What catches your eye when you look at this, Professor? Curator: Well, beyond the obvious intimacy, what strikes me is the raw glimpse into the artist's process. Forget the polished paintings; here’s the hurried capturing of ephemeral details – train times, destinations. Imagine Israels jotting this down on a train, observing, reflecting. I almost feel like I'm invading his privacy, peering into his mind. The visible corrections and crossed-out words, for example – aren't they like little cries of "Almost! Not quite!"? Makes you wonder what exactly he was planning, doesn’t it? What kind of art might these notations have inspired? Editor: Absolutely! It's like finding a secret message in a bottle. Were these notes typical of Israels, this blending of personal life and art? Curator: In some ways, yes. Israels had a gift for capturing everyday life with striking candor. This drawing exemplifies the Modernist and Intimist movements by being incredibly spontaneous, personal and deeply present with his experiences, yet somewhat vague, detached from his surroundings... Editor: It really does give us a peek behind the curtain. It’s inspiring to think even masters started with these raw, unpolished ideas. Curator: Exactly! That’s the magic of these intimate sketches, they dissolve the distance between artist and viewer. It is such an unfiltered and immediate way of capturing life.