Nota aan C.L.C. Voskuil Possibly 1899

This is a bill, made by J.J. Biesing in 1899, likely written with pen and ink on paper. This everyday document allows us to look at the art world through the lens of commerce. What we see here is a handwritten invoice for a collection of artworks. Looking closely, each line lists the name of a painting and its price, offering us a glimpse into the art market of the time. The careful penmanship speaks to a culture of skilled labor and meticulous record-keeping, reflecting the value placed on artisanal expertise, but this artistic labor is now placed in service of capitalist exchange. Invoices like these underscore that artistic creation is embedded within broader economic systems. By considering such documents, we gain insight into the labor, value, and circulation of art in society, blurring the lines between aesthetics and economics.