Pencil case with crayons

Like many other subjects, Bilderdijk did not practice drawing at the highest level, but at a level that was above that of the average amateur. He designed, for instance, his title vignettes for his printed publications himself from the beginning of his career. Some skillfully made architectural sketches and other drawings by Bilderdijk have also been preserved. As early as 1773, he made a design for a new city hall in Groningen as part of a competition. His ingenious rebus letters and a number of so-called ‘farmers cheaters’, in which he artfully applied the trompe-l'oeil effect, also demonstrate his skills as a visual artist. During his exile in Germany, he gave drawing lessons.