Schetsboek met 35 bladen 1849 - 1895

Curator: Welcome. Before us is a sketchbook from the mid-19th century, "Schetsboek met 35 bladen," likely crafted between 1849 and 1895. It resides in the Rijksmuseum. Its creator is Willem Koekkoek, employing mixed media – pencil and other drawing techniques – on paper, including toned paper. Editor: It feels intimate, almost like discovering a secret diary. The aged paper has this gorgeous, muted texture—it's seen things, you know? I bet it holds worlds, not just sketches. There's something about old sketchbooks...they invite your own creative longings. Curator: Sketchbooks like this offer unique insights into the artist's process. It represents a critical element in academic training during the nineteenth century for an artist to record topography or architectural forms, such as Koekkoek focused on. His position in this world involved navigating and selling his ability to capture detailed depictions of daily life. Editor: Right, it is daily life we're seeing. Forget grand pronouncements – this is the poetry of the ordinary. Those quick lines, the way the paper is worn... I wonder, was he happy sketching, or just working away? A little of both, probably! You can just feel that constant back-and-forth, trying to make a living capturing what he witnessed. Curator: Indeed, art historians view Koekkoek’s sketches through the lens of market forces and social expectations that shaped his artistic practice. These sketchbooks are an example of the necessity for constant creation to appease a collector’s market. It highlights the necessity of art creation during this time. Editor: Absolutely. Though I am just enamored of the sketchbook, its aging paper, the fact it's still here—it whispers tales of its creator and time period it originated from. Now, what hidden wonders await within its aged pages? That question stays with me long after seeing it. Curator: It prompts essential inquiries about art's function. The sketchbook is a portal—a place of the artist’s thoughts, now preserved.