Brief aan Frans Buffa en Zonen Possibly 1877 - 1879

This is "Brief aan Frans Buffa en Zonen" or "Letter to Frans Buffa and Sons," composed in 1877 by Silvio Giulio Rotta. The immediate visual encounter presents a sheet filled with dense Italian script, the graceful curves and sharp angles of the handwriting creating a complex texture against the paper's pale surface. The composition is defined by a hierarchy of lines and spaces, with the body of the text forming a structured block, offset by the flourishes of the salutation and signature. Here, Rotta engages with the semiotics of letter writing. Each stroke, each word, is a signifier. The letter transcends its literal content, functioning as a representation of social and economic exchange. The materiality of the ink, set against the absorbent paper, introduces a play of light and shadow. The effect destabilizes established meanings, inviting a deeper reading of the letter not just as a message, but as an artifact embedded in the cultural and philosophical contexts of 19th-century Venice. The handwritten form reflects the personal touch, mediating relationships within a shifting social framework.