A.J. Schouten

A.J. Schouten was a designer and draftsman whose active professional life spanned the late 18th and early 19th centuries, with documented works dated between 1775 and 1841. Their surviving output consists primarily of conceptual drawings related to architecture, interior decoration, and practical design. Nine of Schouten’s drawings are currently preserved in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, validating their historical role in the Dutch design landscape of the period.

Schouten demonstrated considerable versatility across various design fields. A significant portion of their work involves detailed architectural renderings, including Interieur en plattegrond van een gebouw, mogelijk een kerk of tempel, and multiple studies for interior concepts, such as Ontwerp voor een wanddecoratie met gemarmerde Korinthische zuilen. These drawings often adhere to the structured, ornamental sensibilities of the late Neoclassical era, focusing on classical elements and symbolic allegory, notably seen in Ontwerp voor een wanddecoratie met symbolen van Caritas (deugd).

Beyond interior and sacred architecture, Schouten’s scope extended to functional design. A key example of this application is the detailed rendering Ontwerp voor de boeg van het fregat Broedertrouw, showcasing the intersection of artistic design and naval engineering. Today, these A.J. Schouten prints and drawings, held in established museum collections, provide valuable insights into early 19th-century design methodology. Having entered the public domain, these historic designs are often available as high-quality prints for research and collection.