Schetsboek met 91 bladen 1813

This is Catharina Kemper’s sketchbook, a personal object whose marbled cover hints at the hidden worlds within its 91 pages.   In a time when women’s creative work was often confined to the domestic sphere, a sketchbook like this becomes a space for exploration and self-expression. Consider the significance of a woman claiming the space of the artist, recording her observations and ideas at a time when such pursuits were often deemed secondary to her social role.   What stories do these sketches tell? Do they reveal a longing for something more, or a quiet rebellion against societal expectations? The act of filling these pages is itself a statement, a testament to the importance of women's voices and perspectives. The blank page becomes a space for the artist to assert her presence, to challenge the silence, and to inscribe her own narrative into the world.