Maandblad Verf en Kunst van P.A. Regnault (ontwerp) before 1941

Editor: Here we have Leo Gestel’s preliminary sketch from before 1941, “Maandblad Verf en Kunst van P.A. Regnault,” made with pencil on paper and held here at the Rijksmuseum. It’s quite rough; almost like seeing the artist thinking on the page. What stands out to you? Curator: The sketch emphasizes the materiality of art production. Notice the focus isn’t on the final image, but the tools and processes involved: the hand holding the brush, the artist’s act of creation. It challenges the traditional hierarchy between high art and craft. The emphasis is on labor here, the physical act of *making*. Editor: So you're saying the sketch itself is less about the final product, and more about showcasing the artist's labor through representing art's production and raw creation with these minimal tools? Curator: Precisely. The roughness reinforces the process of sketching, where artists like Gestel played with ideas. We need to think about how art supplies are perceived in their era. What impact did the *Verf en Kunst* magazine have on disseminating artistic practices at the time, by focusing on process itself rather than simply on the "masterpieces"? Editor: That makes me think about the role art publications had. How else did those contribute to creating or breaking those high/low art barriers? Curator: Good question. Mass produced printed media influenced artists decisions about both process and the art market itself. Consumption is part of it too – are paint and materials precious objects or commodities? Editor: I’m starting to see the drawing less as just a preliminary sketch and more as an exploration of artistic labor itself! Thanks! Curator: Indeed! Analyzing materiality offers valuable insights into understanding the context and intent behind the artwork itself.