Schetsboek met 61 bladen c. 1845 - 1848

This sketchbook, made by Christian Heinrich Gottlieb Steuerwald in the 19th century, is itself a fascinating artifact of material culture. Bound in textured paper over board with a leather spine, it testifies to the period’s developing industrial processes. Consider the cover: its repeated, striated pattern suggests a mechanized production method, a far cry from earlier hand-marbled papers. The texture invites touch, while the leather hints at durability and value. The sketchbook format itself speaks to the rise of leisure and personal expression. Opening this object, one might imagine Steuerwald using it to capture landscapes, portraits, or botanical studies. Yet the book, in its design and construction, is equally revealing. It stands as a testament to the era's evolving relationship between art, industry, and the everyday object. Understanding the book itself as a product of its time allows us to engage more deeply with the creative process it facilitated.