Skizzenbuch 1840 - 1841

Editor: Here we have "Skizzenbuch", a sketchbook by Ludwig Metz from 1840-1841. The media listed are drawing and paper. The cover has this swirling pattern, almost like marbled paper. I'm curious, what catches your eye when you consider this object? Curator: I immediately think of the labor involved in its production. Look at that cover! Marbled paper wasn't just pulled out of thin air; there were skilled artisans carefully manipulating pigments on a liquid surface. Each swirl, each vein, represents someone's craft. It brings up a question, doesn’t it? How does something functional, like a sketchbook, get elevated through these elaborate processes? Editor: I hadn’t thought about that, I was just focused on the overall aesthetic. So, you're saying the craft itself becomes part of the artwork's meaning? Curator: Absolutely. Think about the societal value placed on different forms of labor. The artist filling the sketchbook versus the craftspeople creating the marbled paper—were their contributions seen as equally valuable? This brings in conversations of class and art hierarchy. Were sketchbooks such as this considered high art at the time? Editor: Hmm, probably not. It feels much more like a tool or personal item. Curator: Exactly! And that’s precisely what I want you to consider: how everyday objects, through materiality and method, become interwoven with questions of value and social structure. Editor: I'll definitely be looking at materiality differently from now on. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! It’s about considering all the hands, all the processes, that contribute to any piece we study.