Ontwerpen en een plattegrond voor een wandschildering in het stadhuis te Den Bosch c. 1889 - 1891

Curator: Before us is "Ontwerpen en een plattegrond voor een wandschildering in het stadhuis te Den Bosch" or "Designs and a plan for a mural in the town hall of Den Bosch" by Antoon Derkinderen, created circa 1889-1891. Editor: My first impression is how ephemeral it feels. Like catching a fleeting thought. I immediately key into the artist’s materials here—pencil on aged, toned paper. Curator: Absolutely, and this ephemeral quality speaks to the function of the artwork itself. We're looking at a preparatory drawing, likely from a personal sketchbook, mapping out the layout and design elements for a significant commission. How might the social context of town hall murals impact the artist's choices in sketching here? Editor: It’s fascinating to see the labor involved in creating something intended for public consumption. You can see where Derkinderen worked out various spatial relationships, and he even included some notations in hand-drawn type alongside the sketches. There's real purpose. Curator: Indeed, and considering the cultural climate of the late 19th century in the Netherlands, such public works served a critical function in nation-building. The choice of imagery, placement, and scale, especially in a town hall, sent explicit messages about identity and collective values. Note the architectural references too, as if the space is a performative aspect to public life itself. Editor: And there is clear intention even in the type of drawing tool and surface. He likely used pencils because they’re quick, erasable, transportable…perfect for capturing preliminary thoughts for murals requiring durable mediums like fresco or oil. These sketches, born of pencil and paper, are about utility at its finest! Curator: It's through the lens of labor and social context that we see beyond a simple preparatory sketch and understand the intent of integrating historical narratives with contemporary civic life, and more. How fascinating! Editor: Exactly. By considering materiality, labor, and intended social setting, these sketches emerge as testaments to civic space that would not be, that maybe once were, that still can be.