Nieuw prentenalbum - tweede deel 1900 - 1912

Here's the cover of "Nieuw prentenalbum - tweede deel" by Matsui Yûkoku, now at the Rijksmuseum. Just looking at the off-white of the paper cover, you get a sense of history. It is all about the physical process, that act of binding pages together, with the blue ties holding it all together. It's clear that a relationship has developed between the artist and the album over time. I can imagine Matsui Yûkoku carefully selecting the cover material, considering its texture and how it would feel in their hands. What were they thinking as they chose the right shade of grey for the title slip? This album cover reminds me that artists are always in dialogue, building upon the ideas and techniques of those who came before them. It is a testament to painting as a form of embodied expression.