Schetsboek met 35 bladen 1829 - 1894

Curator: Here we have a sketchbook, carrying the title "Schetsboek met 35 bladen," which translates to "Sketchbook with 35 leaves" in English. It dates from between 1829 and 1894, and it currently resides in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first impression is of rich, textural decay. The binding evokes aged foliage, perhaps a glimpse into a hidden world, the mottled cover like an organic substance, almost reptilian. Curator: Indeed. The cover's marbling is visually intriguing, it prompts questions about artistic techniques that democratize ornamentation and explore artisanal and even industrial practices—binding isn't just craft, but also work, the work of an artisan. Editor: It strikes me, the colour composition and texture could represent an allegory of life's fragility; the muted green against brown with age creating an almost meditative response. How much does the materiality play into our understanding of the potential contents? Curator: Absolutely! The use of mixed media, paper, pastel, watercolor and even impasto within implies not just an exploration in medium but a deliberate crossing of the accepted academic boundaries between sketching, drawing and finished presentation piece. How might contemporary consumption have driven the creator to utilize readily available—and therefore less precious—materials in this sketchbook’s creation? Editor: Precisely; each leaf whispers secrets that can only be uncovered upon turning. Do you think its value lies more in its form, inviting us into a temporal dialogue? Or rather, more in what its possible future content holds for society? Curator: It's a symbiotic dance! Understanding the social conditions, and the labor in play during its making, enhance its symbolic worth, thus creating that temporal bridge as it also opens up to different societal analyses. I see both form and the materiality as an intimate testament. Editor: Ultimately, "Schetsboek met 35 bladen" is more than just pages; it's a portal, an object ripe for contemplating about a society which both holds onto past traditions while welcoming present day analysis. Curator: It leaves us, at the very least, contemplating how one sketchbook can reveal many truths about artistic skill and material choices within society.