Studie en een abklatsch van een krijttekening 1875 - 1934

This intriguing charcoal drawing by Isaac Israels sits in the Rijksmuseum, and I can only imagine the artist hunched over a table, charcoal stick in hand, smudging and hatching with gusto. The dark, almost violent scribbles on the left – is it a building? Or a figure? – contrast beautifully with the soft, airy expanse on the right. It reminds me of the times I’ve wrestled with a canvas, trying to coax a form out of nothing, layering and erasing, until something unexpected emerges. I bet Israels felt that too. You can almost feel the texture of the paper, the way the charcoal catches in the tooth, leaving behind a trail of dust and shadow. It’s like he’s not just drawing what he sees, but also capturing the very act of seeing itself – and isn’t that what art is all about?