Van Gogh Museum releases limited edition facsimile sketchbooks

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has produced a limited edition of facsimile copies of Vincent van Gogh's sketchbooks, which are rarely displayed due to their fragility. In collaboration with publisher Uitgeverij Komma, the museum released four sketchbooks used by the artist between 1884 and 1890, along with two notebooks, various sketches, and a letter. The notebooks contain drawings van Gogh made for Betsy Tersteeg, daughter of his dealer Hermanus Tersteeg. Twenty-five Dutch companies and artisans specialized in facsimile reproduction were involved to ensure high fidelity. Steven Hond of Uitgeverij Komma stated, "We tried to create the most realistic reproduction possible. Color, materials, stains, folds: every detail was taken into account." The copies are presented in a walnut wood cube referencing the Rietveld size of 35x35x35 cm, a dimension linked to the museum's main building designed by Gerrit Rietveld. Each facsimile comes in a felt-lined package openable from all four sides. The edition includes an illustrated book introducing the sketchbooks and the period van Gogh spent in Nuenen, Antwerp, and Paris. The limited edition of 1,000 numbered copies is available through the museum's webstore and shop, select Dutch bookstores, and at PAN Amsterdam from November 18-25, 2018. The first 25 copies will be auctioned by Venduehuis in The Hague on November 21, 2018.