Bontevisser / Topper 1840 - 1880

Curator: Here we have an interesting drawing entitled "Bontevisser / Topper", made sometime between 1840 and 1880. It’s attributed to Johannes Tavenraat, rendered in pencil and ink on toned paper. What’s your initial impression? Editor: It’s like stumbling upon a secret page from a naturalist's personal sketchbook. A glimpse into a moment of quiet observation, like the artist just quickly captured these birds, there and then. They look quite peaceful, actually. Curator: Indeed. It appears to be a study of two birds, likely waterfowl, sketched with remarkable economy. Notice the quick, light pencil work suggesting their form, enhanced by the more definitive ink lines. Editor: It is simple, but it also does feel somehow scientific. The artist captured just enough, as though this artwork serves the primary objective of a notetaking process, nothing more. Do we know why he decided to sketch these? Curator: Tavenraat was a landscape artist primarily, and the prevalence of sketchbooks at this time afforded naturalists a mobile tool. They acted as a primary research mechanism, used to categorize their findings and to better understand their respective field of expertise. This would fall under the traditional values of realism painting and objective depiction. Editor: Yes! They also allow the artist a quick expression and immediate visual diary that’s unburdened by the pressure of larger paintings. It is funny seeing that this one, though, does have more of a humorous flair. Curator: Interesting that you find humor in them. Their slightly awkward postures? The fact that one is titled “Topper?” Perhaps. Editor: Exactly, that’s the feeling! The charm comes precisely from its casual imperfection. It is so raw, and there is something innately beautiful about that—as if their true essence shone through unvarnished, purely the birdness of birds. Curator: I agree, that the intimate nature of the work also provides a compelling sense of authenticity, despite what we might expect when talking about accurate depiction. It seems the personal and political converge. The politics being grounded in naturalism ideals that support accuracy, with the personal providing the individual quirks. Editor: Absolutely. And on that note of natural beauty and accidental quirkiness, maybe we can all go find our own "Bontevissers" and "Toppers," metaphorical or otherwise, in our everyday lives! Curator: A fitting thought to conclude with, finding our subjects for our own personal sketchbook in the grand museum of life!