Schetsboek met 43 bladen 1848 - 1888

This is Anton Mauve’s sketchbook, containing 43 blank pages, now held in the Rijksmuseum. While it's not dated, we know Mauve was active in the Netherlands during the second half of the 19th century. Sketchbooks like this one offer a fascinating insight into the institutional histories of art. While the paintings that came out of them ended up in exhibitions and private collections, this object represents the artist's private space. What do we make of this? The unblemished pages present a challenge, inviting us to consider the creative process. What ideas were germinating in Mauve's mind, and how do we trace the path from sketch to finished work? The book itself becomes a canvas, marked by the passage of time and handling. It's a reminder that art is not just about the final product but about the journey of exploration and discovery. By consulting letters, biographies, and exhibition catalogues, we can reconstruct the social and institutional context in which Mauve worked. The sketchbook is a reminder that art is contingent on this context.