Brief aan Pieter Haverkorn van Rijsewijk Possibly 1892

This is a letter written in Leipzig, Germany, in 1892 by Julius R. Haarhaus to Pieter Haverkorn van Rijsewijk. Its existence speaks to the cultural life of the time. In the letter, Haarhaus references portraits of Erasmus in the Museum Boogman, as well as portraits by Dürer and Holbein that include skulls, indicating the writer's preoccupation with art history. The text illustrates the intersection of personal correspondence and intellectual interests of the period. Haarhaus mentions the difficulty in obtaining a photograph of the referenced portrait, highlighting the technological constraints of visual media at the time. The letter touches on issues of identity and interpretation, where Haarhaus discusses how someone mistook the portrait of Erasmus for Calvin, and the importance of details, such as the beard and eyes, in distinguishing these identities. Haarhaus's commentary on art, identity, and perception within the confines of a personal letter transforms it into a window onto late 19th-century thought and culture.