Notities after 1854

This page of ‘Notities’ by Johannes Tavenraat provides a rare glimpse into the artist’s private thoughts, dating back to the 19th century, when the act of writing was a more intimate and perhaps less mediated form of expression than it is today. The handwritten notes invite us to consider the context in which Tavenraat lived and worked. As an artist in the Netherlands, he would have been part of a society undergoing significant changes, with evolving ideas about nationalism, identity, and the role of art in reflecting and shaping those ideas. The personal nature of these notes opens a space for thinking about how everyday experiences and observations might filter into an artist’s broader creative practice. The informal, handwritten quality of 'Notities' fosters a sense of closeness, suggesting that even within the grand narratives of art history, there is room for the small, personal moments that define individual experience.