Notities over kunstwerken 1876 - 1924

Editor: Here we have "Notities over kunstwerken" – Notes on artworks – by Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof, created sometime between 1876 and 1924. It's a mixed-media drawing on paper. It looks like a page from a sketchbook, filled with handwritten notes…almost like a glimpse into the artist's mind. What jumps out at you? Curator: Initially, one notes the fascinating interplay between the textual and the visual. The very act of writing, the shapes of the letters, their arrangement on the page – these elements constitute a visual field in and of themselves. Consider the materiality of the paper, its texture as implied through reproduction. And then the lines of script, dark against the ground – a rhythm is established. Editor: So, you're saying the handwriting isn't just about conveying information, but is part of the artwork's composition? Curator: Precisely. Observe the varying densities of the script, the way certain words are emphasized through size or placement. Do you notice how these textual “marks” behave formally, creating a structure across the plane? Editor: I see what you mean. The sizes and spacing create a kind of irregular grid. But what about the content of the writing? Doesn’t that matter? Curator: While content undoubtedly provides context, our formalist approach privileges the *how* over the *what*. How does the inscription function as form? The looping ascenders and descenders create lines. Ultimately, we confront a work where language becomes texture, where meaning is embedded not just in denotation, but in the visual dance of signifiers on a surface. Editor: It’s interesting to think of words as shapes and textures. I’ll definitely look at handwriting differently now. Curator: Indeed. The semiotician in me encourages the viewer to question what the intention or purpose was with this piece.