Schetsboek met 60 bladen 1901 - 1907

This is Willem Witsen's sketchbook with 60 leaves, which resides here at the Rijksmuseum. The first thing that strikes us is the large rectangular expanse of gray-beige canvas covering the boards. Subtle stains mottle the surface, giving it a timeworn character. The overall impression is one of muted simplicity. The cover functions as a structural frame, an armature upon which ideas about artistic creation can be built. The stains and imperfections are semiotic markers: signs that the book has lived, been used, and carries within it the potential for artistic expression. Witsen seems to be setting up a play between the blank potential of the untouched page and the evidence of use. Consider how the very materiality of the sketchbook—its texture, weight, and feel—might inform the artist's practice. Perhaps it served as a repository for fleeting observations or a space for methodical study. By engaging with the structural and material qualities of the sketchbook, we move beyond the purely aesthetic and engage with the processes of artistic thought.