Skizzenbuch c. 1876

This is Friedrich Metz’s “Skizzenbuch,” or sketchbook, held at the Städel Museum. Though undated, sketchbooks like these were often used by artists for preparatory drawings, studies, or simply to capture ideas as they came. Consider the role of sketchbooks in the 19th century, especially for artists working outside the traditional academy. They were portable, personal spaces where one could experiment freely, without the pressure of producing a finished work for public consumption. The very act of sketching can be intimate, reflecting an artist’s immediate, unfiltered thoughts and observations. It’s like a visual diary, capturing fleeting moments and personal reflections. Think about what it means to hold such a book, to flip through its pages, to see the world through Metz's eyes. What stories do these sketches tell, not just about the artist, but about the world he inhabited?