Adreswijziging aan jonkheer Hendrik Teding van Berkhout (1879-1969) Possibly 1933

This address change form for Hendrik Teding van Berkhout was filled out in 1933 by Louis Cardinaals, using ink, in a bureaucratic sans-serif font. All these clean lines are offset by Cardinaal's handwriting; a dark, swooping cursive which seems to break out of the restrictions of the form. The whole composition is neatly divided into sections, but look closer at the contrast between the printed purple ink and the handwritten black ink. Cardinaal's signature has a calligraphic quality, as the weight of the line varies with the pressure of the pen. Look at the looping 'L' of 'Cardinaals' against the rigid structure of the form itself. It's the kind of mark that adds a human touch to something quite sterile. This piece reminds me a little of the work of Cy Twombly, who used handwritten scrawls to create complex layers of meaning. And, just like Twombly's work, there's a looseness here that allows for multiple interpretations and associations.