Schetsboek met 33 bladen 1848 - 1888

This sketchbook, made by Anton Mauve in the late 19th century, is comprised of thirty-three sheets, bound within covers of board and cloth. Sketchbooks such as this one, were essential to the work of landscape painters like Mauve. The paper within its covers was a readily available ground for experimenting with compositions and capturing fleeting impressions of light and atmosphere. Its portability allowed artists to sketch outdoors, connecting them directly to the subjects they would later develop in the studio. While we may now consider such a book a work of art in itself, it is important to remember the wider context of artistic labor. The artist's skill is evident not only in the drawings and paintings found on its pages, but also in the selection and use of the materials themselves. By considering the sketchbook in its totality, we come to appreciate the intimate relationship between artist, materials, and the world around them. It challenges conventional notions of art, and invites us to value the everyday processes of making and seeing.