Blad 54 uit Stamboek van de leerlingen der Koloniale School voor Meisjes en Vrouwen te 's-Gravenhage deel II (1930-1949) Possibly 1934

This large, open book page from the Colonial School for Girls and Women at The Hague, dating from 1930 to 1949, is a ready-made collage: a grid of names, places, dates, signatures, and photographs. I can imagine the patient hand filling in the ledger, methodically constructing a record of each student. Each entry is like a miniature painting. Look at the various photos – all different styles and sizes – pasted onto the page next to looping penmanship. How fascinating to see these images, faded and sepia-toned, in conversation with the handwritten text! It reminds me of artists like Gerhard Richter, who incorporate found images into their work, transforming them through the act of painting. In this case, someone has arranged each element with care, and the cumulative effect is kind of moving. As a kind of artmaking, this connects to a whole history of mark-making and image-making!