Sketchbook c. 1870s - 1880s

Editor: We’re looking at Edward Burne-Jones's sketchbook, which lives at the Harvard Art Museums. It's so small, and the cover looks really worn. What can we learn from the physical object itself? Curator: The humble sketchbook foregrounds the means of artistic production. The fabric covering, its worn texture, the visible stitching – these speak to the labor involved in creating and using it. Editor: So it's not just about the drawings inside? Curator: Not at all. It challenges the preciousness we often assign to art. We should consider where the materials came from, who made the paper and bound the book. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. It makes one consider the full context of art making, beyond the artist’s hand.