Schetsboek met 23 bladen 1858 - 1860

This sketchbook with 23 pages was made by Willem de Famars Testas in the 19th century, with paper, cardboard, and bookbinding techniques. The materials themselves, though simple, speak volumes about the labor and social context of artistic creation. Bound paper within cardboard covers provided artists with portable surfaces for their ideas. The texture of the paper, its weight, and absorbency, all affect the artist's hand, and the character of the marks left behind. The labor of producing the paper, preparing the binding, and assembling the book reflects the industrialization of art supplies during this period, when art materials became more readily available to a wider range of artists. So, when we consider the materials and construction of this sketchbook, we're not just looking at paper and cardboard, we're also engaging with the social and economic factors that influenced artistic practice. By valuing both the high art and the craft, we gain a deeper understanding of its cultural significance and creative possibilities.