Notities 1890 - 1946

Editor: This is "Notities" by Cornelis Vreedenburgh, created sometime between 1890 and 1946. It’s a mixed-media drawing on paper, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. It looks like a page from a sketchbook, filled with handwriting and calculations. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This isn't simply a sketchbook page; it’s evidence of artistic labor and material concerns. Notice the variety of marks – pencil, pen, perhaps even different inks? It's a document of process, a site where the artist is actively wrestling with ideas. How does the raw materiality of the aged paper influence your interpretation? Editor: It makes me think about the artist’s daily practice, like these notes were part of a larger process. Was sketching considered work at the time? Curator: Absolutely. Think about the art market and the value placed on “finished” works. This sketchbook page challenges that boundary, revealing the often-hidden labor that goes into artistic production. It encourages us to question the division between "high art" and the more quotidian aspects of making a living as an artist. Who was Vreedenburgh's audience for this piece, himself or more? Editor: So it’s not just about what he’s drawing, but how he’s using the materials and what that says about his profession? Curator: Precisely! Consider the social context: What kind of paper was available, and how did the cost of materials affect artistic choices? These seemingly simple “Notities” open up questions about artistic production, consumption, and value in Vreedenburgh’s time. Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way. I was just seeing notes, but it’s much more. Thanks.