Brief aan Herman Robbers Possibly 1896 - 1898

This is a letter written by Heinrich Krabbé to Herman Robbers, dating to 1896. Its materials are simple: paper and ink, humble in comparison to oil paint or bronze. Yet, these materials were fundamental to the circulation of ideas at the time, and Krabbé himself likely produced many artworks on paper. The script flows expressively, as if the artist is in conversation. It speaks of portraits commissioned, photographs taken, and articles written. We get a sense of Krabbé actively participating in the art world as both practitioner and promoter. The letter is material evidence of Krabbé's labor. He writes of meeting with the esteemed painter Jan van Essen, commissioning a portrait, and simultaneously sketching it for reproduction. Krabbé's attentiveness to the reproduction hints at the industrialization of art, which changed the definition of visual culture. Consider how this document, seemingly so simple, expands our understanding of the artist's life, work, and social context. It reminds us that art history extends far beyond the finished canvas.