Brief aan Frans Buffa en Zonen Possibly 1872

This letter was written in The Hague on February 1, 1872, by Pieter Stortenbeker to Frans Buffa en Zonen. It’s a business communication, but its presence in the Rijksmuseum asks us to consider its place in Dutch cultural history. The letter concerns three drawings that Stortenbeker has made. He hopes the recipient likes them and trusts that they won't disagree too much on price, which he has kept as low as possible. Buffa en Zonen was an art dealership in Amsterdam at this time, and letters like this reveal the economic structures underpinning artistic production. Artists relied on dealers to sell their work, but this also meant negotiating prices and navigating the market. Historians of art examine archival sources like this letter to understand the network of relationships that support artists. By studying these details, we understand how cultural and economic factors intertwine and contribute to the creation and circulation of art.