Schetsboek met 28 bladen 1881 - 1927

This is a sketchbook with 28 pages, made by Johan Antonie de Jonge. It is entitled, literally, “sketchbook,” and it looks like the kind of sketchbook that has followed artists for years. Imagine de Jonge holding this very book, feeling its size and weight in his hands. He probably held it close, in the studio, and took it out into the world. What did he want to capture? What did he want to remember? A fragment of a face, a tree? Maybe a new idea about composition, or a study of light? This sketchbook is an artwork in itself, not just a container for drawings. It’s a testament to his practice, and the curiosity that drives us to make things. It’s like an invitation to join de Jonge in his process, to see the world through his eyes. It’s also an invitation to make our own marks, to begin our own conversations with the world.