Enquêteformulier ingevuld door Theodoor Schaepkens before 1841

This is a printed questionnaire, completed by hand, concerning the lives and works of Dutch and Flemish artists, printmakers, sculptors, and architects. It was circulated and filled in during the early to mid-19th century, within a cultural context deeply invested in the project of national identity formation. The Rijksmuseum, where this document is now held, was itself founded in 1800, precisely to collect and display artifacts of national history and artistic achievement. This form reflects an ambition, typical of its time, to systematically gather information, classify it, and build a comprehensive picture of the nation's cultural heritage. The handwriting makes this particular document challenging to read, but it is also a valuable historical source, revealing the kinds of questions deemed important at the time. Art historians depend on such records to understand not only what was made, but also how people thought about art, and the institutions that shaped its production and reception.