Schetsboek met 44 bladen c. 1860 - 1866

This is a sketchbook with 44 pages, created by Cornelis Springer, sometime between 1817 and 1891, and housed at the Rijksmuseum. Sketchbooks like this are vital sources for art historians. They give a unique insight into the working practices of artists, as well as the social and cultural settings they inhabited. In the nineteenth century, the Netherlands was experiencing a period of relative peace and economic growth, which led to increased urbanization and a growing middle class. Artists like Springer were able to capitalize on this by producing images of the country’s cities and towns, which were popular with the new bourgeoisie. Sketchbooks like this also tell us something about the institutional history of art. The Rijksmuseum was founded in 1800, and by the mid-19th century it was actively collecting works by contemporary Dutch artists like Springer, thus helping create a national artistic identity. The historian's job is to delve deeper, using primary sources like letters, diaries, and newspaper articles to understand the artist’s world.