Schetsboek met 37 bladen c. 1839 - 1866

Editor: So, here we have "Sketchbook with 37 leaves" by Johannes Tavenraat, created somewhere between 1839 and 1866. It's made using drawing on paper and is currently held at the Rijksmuseum. It has this wonderful marbled cover! What story do you think it holds, as you look at it? Curator: Well, first, this sketchbook is fascinating as an object itself. Its existence signals the democratization of art. In the 19th century, more people had access to art materials, enabling them to document their experiences of the world, travel, nature. Where would someone purchase a sketchbook like this, and what statement were they making to their social circle? Editor: So, the act of creating landscapes became more accessible? I guess I’d never really thought about it that way, as an expression of freedom of mobility for artists and citizens! Curator: Precisely! Sketchbooks like this are fascinating artifacts that speak volumes about shifts in social and cultural values. Consider how the Romantic movement emphasized individual experience and the sublime in nature. Wouldn't it be fascinating to examine what sketches are held within? Editor: Definitely! Knowing that everyday people might capture landscapes in sketches is just... inspiring, somehow. The sketchbook itself then, really tells a richer story beyond just what drawings it contains. Curator: Exactly! It is not just art, it is social history. And that is precisely why I am so fascinated by it. It opens the door to understanding an artist's world from their own, direct, experience.