Schetsboek met 28 bladen 1891 - 1892

This is a sketchbook with 28 sheets, likely crafted in the late 19th or early 20th century by Willem Cornelis Rip. Bound with a simple, sturdy cover, the sketchbook is made from readily available materials: paper and book board. Its form is defined by its function: a portable tool for an artist to capture fleeting observations and ideas. The small size suggests it was made for carrying around. Consider how the texture and weight of the paper would have influenced Rip's drawing techniques, encouraging a certain immediacy and directness. There's a beautiful tension here between the unique vision of the artist, and the rather ordinary nature of the materials and making. The book's mass-produced components speak to wider social issues of labor and consumption, while it also represents the intimacy and individual expression of a particular artist’s practice. Ultimately, this object invites us to reflect on the relationship between art, craft, and the everyday.