Schetsboek met 32 bladen 1834 - 1903

Editor: So, this is a sketchbook with 32 pages by Johan Hendrik Weissenbruch, dating from 1834 to 1903. It features a portrait miniature on what appears to be a heavily worn cover. What strikes me is how intimate and almost fragile this object feels. What do you make of it? Curator: As a materialist, what immediately captures my attention is the sheer labor and variety of materials evident in this sketchbook. Think about the production of paper during this era, the crafting of the binding, the preparation of watercolors. The miniature portrait itself reveals a distinct set of artisanal skills. Editor: Right, it's easy to forget all the effort that went into creating everyday objects. The materials feel so immediate. Curator: Precisely! And the wear and tear also tell a story about consumption, ownership, and value. How was this sketchbook used? Was it a treasured possession? The "mixed media" approach speaks to the evolving material practices. Was Weissenbruch experimenting? How does that blend into his broader oeuvre? Editor: I guess that helps situate the artist beyond a single work. What I found especially beautiful were the watercolor bleeds. I suppose the physical quality suggests there are also intangible things at play? Curator: The watercolour bleeds indicate the physical properties of the medium but also the skill (or lack thereof!) involved in applying it. More interestingly perhaps, what was the value assigned to “accidents” within the realm of academic art? Did Weissenbruch discard imperfect sketches, or did he repurpose them, finding value in the unpredictable qualities of his materials? Editor: So it's not just about the image itself but the whole material story. That's really insightful. I hadn't considered the sketchbook's life beyond its artistic content. Curator: Exactly. It pushes us to consider art beyond its aesthetic value, emphasizing the social and economic processes involved in its creation and the ways in which art objects participate in and reflect larger material cultures.