Process: Design Drawings from the Rijksmuseum 1500-1900

A massive trove of drawings of chairs, clocks, vases and more across four centuries

Published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Rijksmuseum, Process displays the museum’s extensive collection of previously unseen drawings of artifacts from the 1500s to 1900. The book thoroughly discusses the artifacts—which include vases, chairs, clocks, stoves, sledges and carriages, among many others—investigating their origins and usage, as well as the systems of production behind the objects; inventors, makers and patrons all feature here. The central focus of Process, however, is not the artifacts but the design drawings themselves. The drawings are arranged according to the successive stages of the design process, from the first sketches in pencil to their fully elaborated, colorful presentation.
Unlike other publications on this subject, Process privileges the function of the drawings within the design process over their provenance and attribution. This distinct approach was developed after years of research by Reinier Baarsen, senior curator at the Rijksmuseum, who contributes text to the volume.