Blad 65 uit Stamboek van de leerlingen der Koloniale School voor Meisjes en Vrouwen te 's-Gravenhage deel II (1930-1949) Possibly 1935

This page from a student register was made in The Hague, Netherlands, sometime between 1930-1949. Imagine the methodical act of filling out this register, the scratching of the pen across the paper, trying to make sense of the handwriting. The anonymous creator of this page has produced a kind of painting in language. It's all pale yellows and browns with the handwritten text and grid creating a rhythm across the page. I think of the portraits included with each student’s record and wonder what kind of life each one had beyond these records. There’s something really tender in these inscriptions, especially when you see a face and imagine a signature alongside it. I like thinking about the intimacy of writing, and how this page is an archive of all these peoples' marks. It’s not unlike how artists try to capture a sense of life with their own gestures. These students may not have considered themselves artists, but they have still created something very beautiful here.