Blad 41 uit Stamboek van de leerlingen der Koloniale School voor Meisjes en Vrouwen te 's-Gravenhage deel I (1921-1929) Possibly 1926

This is page 41 from a register of students at the Colonial School for Girls and Women in The Hague, made sometime between 1921 and 1929. What strikes me is the delicate balance between the grid-like structure and the unruly nature of handwriting. It's a dance between order and chaos, like a good painting. Look at the variety of signatures. Each one is so personal, a little performance of identity. I'm drawn to the sweeping, confident stroke of "Richard Duncan Clay," and the little snapshot of a woman, standing in what looks like a snowy landscape. These are marks of lives, captured in ink. This page reminds me of Cy Twombly's work, the way he layered meaning through gesture and text. But unlike Twombly, this wasn't intended as art; it's a record, a document. It's fascinating how the mundane can become something beautiful and profound over time. There’s an ambiguity here, a layering of narratives, that keeps me coming back for another look.