Schetsboek met 22 bladen 1870 - 1931

This is Willem Bastiaan Tholen’s sketchbook, made with paper and bound in a cloth cover. While we can't see the individual drawings within, we can consider the book itself. Think about the sketchbook as a crucial tool for artists, a repository for ideas, and a portable workspace. The texture of the cloth suggests a sturdy, practical object, designed for use in the field, or perhaps the studio. The book's dimensions speak to its function. It's large enough to accommodate detailed sketches, yet compact enough to be carried easily. The binding, though simple, indicates a level of care and intention. The act of binding transforms loose sheets of paper into a unified whole, a container for the artist's thoughts and observations. The sketchbook represents the essential relationship between the artist, their materials, and their environment. It reminds us that art-making is not just about the final product, but also about the processes of exploration, experimentation, and discovery. So it's worth looking at this object as a starting point, the very foundation of creativity.