Landgoed De Paauw, Wassenaar c. 1913

This is the cover of Geldolph Adriaan Kessler’s sketchbook, and it’s interesting to think about the book itself as the artwork, even before the artist made any marks on its pages. The cover is a kind of subdued, almost melancholic maroon. It has this tactile quality, doesn’t it? You can almost feel the texture of the book cloth. It reminds me that art is not just about grand gestures, but also about the quiet, everyday intimacy of materials. See the decorative frieze that runs along the top? It’s a subtle detail, yet it frames the entire surface, creating a sense of enclosure and hinting at the preciousness of the contents within. In some ways, this unassuming cover reflects back to us the possibilities of the blank page, that moment of potential before any marks are made. It’s like Agnes Martin, or maybe even a bit like Ad Reinhardt, in its quiet intensity. It invites us to consider the beauty of simplicity and the power of suggestion.