Abklatsch van de tekening op blad 13 recto 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this drawing, Abklatsch van de tekening op blad 13 recto, at an unknown date, with pencil on paper. It's a delicate, almost ghostly image, isn't it? The artist uses a pale palette and a soft touch, which speaks to the process of artmaking as a kind of gentle exploration. What really grabs me are the smudges and faint lines. Look at the way the figure seems to emerge from the paper, as if she's a memory or a dream. The texture is so subtle, it’s like a whisper of graphite. I love how Israels doesn't try to hide the process; you can see the layers, the erasures, the searching. It's honest. The brown smudges above the figures head are interesting too, like ghostly fingerprints. This reminds me a bit of some of Whistler's more ephemeral works, these artists share an interest in capturing fleeting moments and ambiguous forms. Art is always a conversation, a back-and-forth across time. What do you think she is thinking? What does the image evoke in you? Embrace the uncertainty.