check out this sketchbook that is over 400 years old!
i found it while poking around in the national library of the netherlands.
don't you think it might be kind of wonderful to draw some of these frames inside a modern day sketchbook?
i'll just be here experimenting.
letting adriaen's 16th century designs come and live in my 21st century sketchbook.
naturally, i'll keep you posted.
i marvel at his drawing style and the mythical quality of many of his scenes.
The text below comes entirely from KB – The National Library of the Netherlands. You can see the entire book HERE.
In 1577, at age 63, Adriaen Coenensz from Scheveningen started working on his Fish Book. In three years, he gathered all information he could find on the sea and its coasts, coastal waters, fishing grounds and marine animals. He described them expertly in more than 800 pages. Coenen got his information from his own practise: he was a Scheveningen fisherman and auctioneer and, later on, wreck master of Holland, so that every strange creature that washed ashore was brought to him for inspection. His reputation as expert on marine matters grew thanks to the connections he made as a self-educated man with academics at The Hague and Leiden, who gave him learned works on the sea on loan. Coenen copied extracts from them into his Fish Book.
Coenensz turns almost every page into a separate work of art by painting borders and frames around the watercolour illustrations he adds to the texts. He must have realised the special character of his book; in the Leiden Court of Law's journal for 1583 a note is found saying that Coenensz has applied for permission 'to show his book and his collection of dried fish specimens at the approaching fair and the feast of the relief of Leiden (3 October), receiving from each person a penny, and from those who want to see the book a farthing'. Coenensz turned his knowledge into profit.
Wow! This is so inspiring! Love his illustration style. Thanks for sharing!
So cool, thanks for sharing!
And watch out for that flying rabbit!
Fantastic find! It makes me feel that we humans are all the same!
WOW!! Ditto what Jessi W. said above, I love coming here to your blog and sharing your discoveries. I’m off to draw some frames. Thank you! xo
I love this info you’ve shared with your followers! I need some time and desk top computer to study it more in depth. Thanks for sharing
This is an OMG for me! Finding these interesting bits of life and then sharing them with us is so awesome and inspiring. This is what makes you the bomb Mary Ann! I really love the frames he made and you were already doing frames before you found this inspiration. Totally love the frames and will do some myself too. thank you for sharing!!!
Ah so! There is hope for me yet!! Yes, yes, yes, it would be a marvelous idea to make frames, AND I think you should charge a penny a piece 🙂
And he started at age 63! I’m impressed and I marvel, too.
Wow! Thank you for sharing your find with us. It’s amazing to so such an old sketchbook. I can’t wait to see your frames!
So beautiful ! Thanks for sharing. I also found this and it is very interesting. Here is the link : http://www.messynessychic.com/2013/06/24/found-in-a-junk-shop-secrets-of-an-undiscovered-visionary-artist/
How amazing this is. Thanks for sharing.
What an amazing find. Thanks for sharing!
Definitely a kinsman of yours!
I can’t wait to show this to Hunter! Thank you for sharing!!
Oh, these are wonderful. In addition to being wonderful all on their very own, it’s humbling to be connected to another person also doing journals those many years ago. I imagine all of us sitting at the same table.
That is amazing!! Thanks for sharing it with us. I love old books but this is beyond that.
I have an old ledger from the 1600’s. It’s in Italian and I found it many years ago. It’s only writing, no drawings but it’s one of my all-time favorite things.
Very, very COOL! This post is exactly why I love to read your blog. I’m always learning from you. The range of ideas you come up with are so wonderful. Thank you! I love your sister’s blog, too. You two are so creative. I did just take your sketching class. I loved it and I’m still working on drawings, haven’t shared any since drawing my flowers but I will!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us. Totally fascinating!!! Wonderful artwork.
XO
Absolutely incredible! Makes my heart go pitty pat. xoDonna