Carnet de Croquis / Sketch Book
Van Dongen, Kees
(Paris). c.1900
A remarkable, early sketch book by Kees Van Dongen, undated, but likely from his early sojourns in Paris c.1900.
Cornelis Theodorus Maria Van Dongen (1877 - 1968), known as 'Kees', began his artistic studies in 1892 at Rotterdam's Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Van Dongen travelled to Paris first in 1897 before returning again in 1899 to join his future wife, Augusta Preitinger. The present sketchbook inscribed 'Paris' in pencil on the inside cover appears to date from this era prior to Van Dongen's participation in the 1905 Salon d'Automne and the move to Montmartre's Bateau Lavoir. Many of the sketches feature women in period costume with long dresses and coats and elaborate hats, a child too wears a wide-brimmed hat with a ribbon band, maids and servants have aprons, a gendarme and a mounted soldier both wear a kepi, men carry canes. Van Dongen's wife, Augusta Preitinger, known as 'Guus', sat for portraits by the artist and it is tempting to imagine that some of the sketches are of her.
The sketch book is of the size and format that is readily suited to the pocket and although many of the sketches are slight and have the appearance that they were created at speed, they do provide a very good sense of an artist in development who sketched and drew when and as he saw fit. Of particular interest - given Van Dongen's later inclusion with 'Les Fauves' and 'Die Brücke' - is his use of colour in the sketch book. Although the colour used is far from portraits of 'Guus' or of those such as 'Femme au Chapeu Fleuri' or 'Femme au Grand Chapeau', it gives an incipient idea, with hindsight at least, of Van Dongen's palette to come.
The sketch book, as with the inscription 'Paris', features the circular stamp of Van Dongen's daughter 'Dolly' (christened Augusta after her mother) with the text 'Dolly A. VAN DONGEN / PARIS' to the inside front cover. A number of the drawings appear to feature Van Dongen's initials and several are signed, all in pencil. The sketch book was purchased from Dolly Van Dongen (1905 - 1987?) on March 15th 1980 along with other Van Dongen material by Alain Péanne - a copy of the letter is included with the sketch book - before sale to a Swiss collector; a further letter from that collector is also included.
Cornelis Theodorus Maria Van Dongen (1877 - 1968), known as 'Kees', began his artistic studies in 1892 at Rotterdam's Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Van Dongen travelled to Paris first in 1897 before returning again in 1899 to join his future wife, Augusta Preitinger. The present sketchbook inscribed 'Paris' in pencil on the inside cover appears to date from this era prior to Van Dongen's participation in the 1905 Salon d'Automne and the move to Montmartre's Bateau Lavoir. Many of the sketches feature women in period costume with long dresses and coats and elaborate hats, a child too wears a wide-brimmed hat with a ribbon band, maids and servants have aprons, a gendarme and a mounted soldier both wear a kepi, men carry canes. Van Dongen's wife, Augusta Preitinger, known as 'Guus', sat for portraits by the artist and it is tempting to imagine that some of the sketches are of her.
The sketch book is of the size and format that is readily suited to the pocket and although many of the sketches are slight and have the appearance that they were created at speed, they do provide a very good sense of an artist in development who sketched and drew when and as he saw fit. Of particular interest - given Van Dongen's later inclusion with 'Les Fauves' and 'Die Brücke' - is his use of colour in the sketch book. Although the colour used is far from portraits of 'Guus' or of those such as 'Femme au Chapeu Fleuri' or 'Femme au Grand Chapeau', it gives an incipient idea, with hindsight at least, of Van Dongen's palette to come.
The sketch book, as with the inscription 'Paris', features the circular stamp of Van Dongen's daughter 'Dolly' (christened Augusta after her mother) with the text 'Dolly A. VAN DONGEN / PARIS' to the inside front cover. A number of the drawings appear to feature Van Dongen's initials and several are signed, all in pencil. The sketch book was purchased from Dolly Van Dongen (1905 - 1987?) on March 15th 1980 along with other Van Dongen material by Alain Péanne - a copy of the letter is included with the sketch book - before sale to a Swiss collector; a further letter from that collector is also included.
[28 leaves]. 12mo. (145 x 86 mm). 34 original sketches and drawings, some double-page, in watercolour, ink, pencil or wash on squared paper by Kees Van Dongen, contemporary inscription 'Paris' in pencil to front wrapper verso. Original publisher's black leather-backed plain tan wrappers, stapled as issued.
#48584
