Abklatsch van een krijttekening 1875 - 1934

Isaac Israels made this piece, Abklatsch van een krijttekening, with chalk, and I love how he really went for it, like he was trying to get something out of his system. Looking at the surface, you can see how he transferred the chalk, probably rubbing it down to get this ghostly effect. It's thin and scratchy, but then there are these little clumps and pools of black where the chalk really stuck. It’s kind of like looking at a dirty window, where you can still see the marks from cleaning it. There’s this dark, almost drippy line that runs down the right side that really grabs my attention, like a weird, abstract waterfall. This work reminds me a little of Cy Twombly's sketchier moments, but with a bit more of a haunted feel. It reminds us that art doesn’t have to be about perfection; it can be about process, chance, and the beauty of imperfection.