Studieblad met versterkte gebouwen, mogelijk kastelen c. 1828 - 1897

Editor: This is a sheet of architectural sketches, "Studieblad met versterkte gebouwen, mogelijk kastelen," created by Adrianus Eversen sometime between 1828 and 1897, using pencil. The drawings have a tentative quality, like ideas just beginning to take shape. What can you tell me about what you see in this piece? Curator: Well, these aren't just castles; they're like the daydreams *of* castles. I imagine Eversen, a bit of a romantic, perhaps, jotting these down after a long walk. It’s the kind of sketching you do when you're chasing a feeling, a memory of grandeur. What strikes you about their forms? Editor: Their variety, maybe? Each has a unique character, even in these early stages. Is it common to find so many distinct building designs within one sketchbook page? Curator: Absolutely! Think of it as visual brainstorming. He's exploring different possibilities, testing the waters. It is such a personal object – you see him, the artist, working through forms he loves. A glimpse into an architect’s heart, wouldn’t you say? Are they all successful? Editor: Maybe not, but they feel honest. I wonder what happened to them. Were they ever built? Curator: Maybe not literally in brick and mortar. Perhaps they morphed into something else entirely, pieces borrowed, lines re-imagined. An artist’s sketch often has more power, more truth, than any finished rendering. Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way, a sort of artistic fossil. Curator: Precisely! The potential energy contained on one page. A joy.