Schetsboekje met zilverstifttekeningen 1587

This is a sketchbook with silverpoint drawings, by Hendrick Goltzius. The cover is made of tooled leather, with metal clasps. The use of leather, tanned and worked, connects us to the skilled tradespeople of Goltzius's time. The patterns stamped into the leather aren't just decorative; they speak to a whole system of craft production. Leather working was a laborious process, involving tanning, cutting, dyeing, and tooling – each step demanding specific skills. The metal clasps too, though small, required expertise in metalworking. Silverpoint, the drawing technique used inside, was a highly refined skill, favored for its precision. These materials and processes would have been deeply familiar to Goltzius's contemporaries, reflecting a world where art and craft were closely intertwined. Recognizing the labor and skill embedded in this object challenges the notion of the artist as solely a creator of 'high art'. The sketchbook is just as much a product of collective craftsmanship.