Namen en adressen 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve created "Namen en adressen" with graphite on paper. The composition is dominated by handwriting, a series of addresses and names filling the frame in delicate strokes. The surface is layered with graphite smudges and corrections, revealing the artist's hand and the process of inscription. Mauve's choice to foreground text destabilizes traditional artistic values which prioritize pictorial representation over linguistic elements. Through the semiotic lens, we might read each address as a signifier, pointing to absent locations and individuals, while the act of writing itself becomes a performance. The lack of clear hierarchy or focal point challenges fixed meanings, inviting us to question how we assign value and interpret space. The written text hovers between the intimate and the public. The materiality of the graphite on paper emphasizes the temporality of inscription, reminding us that art is never fixed but is subject to continuous interpretation.