Brief aan Frans Buffa en Zonen Possibly 1887

This is a letter, ‘Brief aan Frans Buffa en Zonen’, penned by Jozef Israëls in 1887. The dominant symbol here is, of course, the handwritten word itself. The act of writing, especially in the form of a personal letter, carries immense cultural weight. It’s a direct line of communication, an intimate exchange of thoughts and emotions. Consider the evolution of this symbol: from ancient inscriptions on stone tablets, meant to immortalize rulers and laws, to these fluid strokes of ink on paper, conveying personal matters. Handwriting itself becomes a unique imprint, a visible manifestation of one's inner self. Think of how signatures, once a simple mark of agreement, evolved into elaborate, personalized symbols of identity. The letter, in its physicality, becomes a relic, a fragment of a past moment, charged with the emotional energy of its creator. We, as viewers, are drawn into this intimate space, subconsciously seeking to decipher not just the words, but the emotional subtext hidden within the script. It speaks to the enduring human desire to connect, to leave a trace of ourselves, defying the relentless march of time.