Schetsboek met 55 bladen vervaardigd op de Veluwe en in Noord-Duitsland c. 1863

This is Cornelis Springer's sketchbook, a compact object made on the Veluwe and in Northern Germany. The sketchbook's dark cover is adorned with gold lettering and filigree spelling out "ALBUM", evoking a sense of contained artistry. The dimensions suggest a portable nature, intimating that this was a constant companion to the artist. The stark contrast between the black cover and the ornate gold text immediately sets up a formal tension. The lettering, with its flourishes and curves, suggests an embrace of aesthetic pleasure. However, it's juxtaposed with a plain white label, handwritten, that speaks of documentation and place. Consider this object not just as a container for drawings, but as a structured space where Springer mediates his experiences of landscape. This is a semiotic encounter; Springer interprets the natural world through a lens of structured artistic practice. The sketchbook is not merely a repository, but a site where nature and artistic representation meet.