Schetsboek met 55 bladen c. 1631 - 1635

Editor: We’re looking at "Sketchbook with 55 leaves" from around 1631 to 1635, by Gerard ter Borch II, currently held in the Rijksmuseum. It seems to be a mixed media piece on toned paper. The notebook looks really worn. What visual elements stand out to you? Curator: Formally speaking, the toned paper serves as more than just a support; it actively participates in the composition. The artist leverages its inherent neutrality, allowing the applied media—likely watercolor and possibly oil pastel—to either contrast against it or blend seamlessly. Consider how the staining patterns activate the plane as a type of organic abstraction. Editor: So, the texture itself becomes part of the image? Curator: Precisely. Notice too the implied lines created by the binding; these hard verticals act as a counterpoint to the softer, more diffuse staining. They segment the surface, introducing a structural element which is quite interesting considering this is, nominally, a simple sketchbook. Are we really only looking at a container for sketches? Editor: I never thought about a notebook like this. Seeing the compositional techniques in something so mundane shifts my perspective. Curator: It makes you consider the interplay between function and artistic intervention. I think the tension is very telling. Editor: Definitely. It really prompts one to re-evaluate assumptions about everyday objects and see artful considerations where they were not intended.