Schetsboek met 59 bladen 1890 - 1946

This sketchbook with 59 pages was made by Cornelis Vreedenburgh. The canvas cover is a pale olive colour, like the drab tents of an army encampment, and there are faint traces of a geometric pencil drawing underneath. Think about what it might have been like for Vreedenburgh to carry it around with him. Maybe he was nervous about making 'proper' artworks, or perhaps he couldn't afford large canvases. I sympathize. It's like keeping a diary, you can be free, nobody is watching. You can play. I imagine the artist quickly sketching what he sees; he’s not too precious with the materials, and the book travels everywhere with him. What did he capture? What did he miss? What was he curious about? The artist's eye zeroes in on something they want to preserve. The sketchbook becomes a repository of ideas. Artists often have a playful relationship with their sketchbooks; they are a safe space to take risks, and their openness to experimentation can lead to new discoveries. These ideas are exchanged and expanded upon in our own work.