Skizzenbuch 1848

drawing, ink, indian-ink

drawing

natural stone pattern

toned paper

16_19th-century

worn

sculpture

textured

detailed texture

paper texture

ink

chalky texture

german

carved into stone

indian-ink

watercolor

"Skizzenbuch" is a sketchbook created by German artist Karl Peter Burnitz in 1848, now housed in the Städel Museum. This sketchbook, while not a finished piece, provides a glimpse into the artist’s creative process. The image, showing the worn cover of the sketchbook, hints at its age and the countless ideas and studies contained within. Sketchbooks like these are essential for understanding the evolution of an artist’s style and are treasured by art historians.

Comments

stadelmuseum over 1 year ago

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The landscape sketchbook was most likely used by Peter Burnitz between January and July 1848 during a journey through Italy, which led him from Sicily to Norma, Cisterna di Latina, Cori, Genazzano, Segni and Valmontone in Latium and then to the French Côte d’Azur. As in the sketchbook documenting the first part of his journey to Italy, especially through Sicily in the winter of 1847/48 (Inv. SG 2360, Städel Museum), the young artist mainly sketched buildings and villages in wide coastal and mountain landscapes in pencil and captured views of paths and streets. Burnitz’s efforts to record his travel impressions in drawings is also reflected in this book in a number of close-up, sometimes very precise studies, which supplement the Mediterranean architectural and landscape views with drawings of characteristic details, for example detailed studies of greenery in front of houses or cyclopean masonry. Burnitz used a brush to colour in a subtle light brown only one of these drawings, some of which were quickly sketched, while some were more elaborate.For a full sketchbook description, please see “Research”.