Schetsboek met 35 bladen 1849 - 1917

This sketchbook with 35 pages was made by Matthijs Maris at an unknown date. Maris was a Dutch painter, etcher and lithographer who belonged to the Hague School, an artistic group with a realist style, influenced by the French Barbizon school. During the 19th century, artists like Maris were breaking from academic traditions and engaging with everyday life and landscapes. This shift can be seen as a reflection of broader societal changes, including industrialization, urbanization, and changing social structures. The Hague School sought to depict the quiet, often melancholic beauty of the Dutch landscape and the lives of ordinary people, and were often associated with a sense of nostalgia and longing for a simpler, more rural past. This sketchbook invites us to consider the artistic process itself. What thoughts, emotions, or observations might have filled these pages? While the images remain a mystery, the sketchbook itself serves as a powerful reminder of the artist’s presence and creative journey.