Brief aan Johannes Jacobus Franciscus Wap Possibly 1839

Curator: A materialist approach really lets us delve into how the production of this object shaped its meaning. Editor: Here we have “Brief aan Johannes Jacobus Franciscus Wap,” a letter to Johannes Jacobus Franciscus Wap, possibly from 1839, by Christiaan Julius Lodewijk Portman, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. It appears to be ink on paper. What immediately strikes me is how intimate this historical document feels, almost like peeking into someone’s private thoughts. How can we really understand what is being communicated? Curator: Well, consider the physical properties. Ink wasn't a uniform product. Its quality, its cost, influenced who could write, and what kind of correspondence they could engage in. The paper, too, speaks of resources. Was it cheap, mass-produced stuff, or finer quality? The letter itself mentions costs, no? Think about how the recipient would read and value based on the materials themselves. Editor: I see your point. It’s not just the words, but the actual ink and paper carrying meaning. Did that change the social status of certain writers or scribes? Curator: Precisely! The act of writing, facilitated by these materials, conferred a kind of power, linking individuals and shaping networks. And we shouldn’t overlook the labor involved – from making the ink to processing the paper, each step contributes to the letter's social and historical value. Editor: So, by looking at the materials, we're uncovering a whole hidden layer of production and labor involved in this single letter. That adds so much more meaning than just the text itself. Curator: Absolutely. It challenges us to reconsider traditional artistic boundaries. This ordinary letter offers extraordinary insight when we look at it through a materialist lens.