Schrijfvoorbeeld: Moijse estant le premier inventeur (...) 1605

Curator: What strikes me first is the incredible delicacy. The wisps of ink, the careful curves... it's like holding a breath made visible. Editor: Precisely! The work before us is a drawing by Cornelis Dircksz. Boissens, titled "Schrijfvoorbeeld: Moijse estant le premier inventeur (...)," dating back to 1605. Executed in ink on paper, it exemplifies the Northern Renaissance interest in calligraphy, don’t you agree? Curator: Calligraphy elevated to high art! And you can almost feel the quill dancing across the page. It feels reverent, even spiritual. "Dieu seul Honneur et gloire," it says – God alone, honor, and glory. It's all very deliberate, isn't it? This glorification of God? Editor: Certainly. Placed within the context of its time, calligraphy served as a tool for both communication and artistic expression. The visual rhetoric here emphasizes devotion to God—very common during the late Renaissance with different reformations impacting most facets of everyday life. Curator: Mmh, there's a real dance happening on the page – a ballet of dark ink against the light paper. Look at how the capital letters become these swirling forms, so ornamental, contrasting the rigid forms of the writing behind it, like a celebration or…a rebellion, even. Editor: An interesting reading. These extravagant flourishes are indeed a feature in Northern Renaissance calligraphy, used to show an elevated rank or status of the writer. A delicate negotiation with power and devotion, perhaps. But overall, the symmetry and formal nature of the work reflects order, rather than dissent. Curator: I like thinking of it as both at once, order and a secret kind of joy. It makes me feel hopeful for the future. Editor: A sentiment I greatly appreciate. I'm compelled to delve more into similar themes from this era of history.