Ontwerp van een schrijfvoorbeeld: Marcus Curius (...) 1605

This is a pen and ink calligraphic sheet made by Jan van de Velde I, dating back to the late 16th or early 17th century. Immediately, one is struck by the elaborate and highly stylized script. The composition is dominated by sweeping, curvilinear lines that create a sense of dynamic movement across the page. Van de Velde’s work exemplifies the Mannerist style, where elegance and virtuosity take precedence over legibility. But it also reflects a period deeply engaged with rhetoric and the power of the written word. The elegant flourishes and exaggerated forms can be viewed as a semiotic system. Ultimately, this sheet, with its intricate design and formal complexity, prompts us to consider the relationship between form and meaning. It challenges the notion of writing as pure communication, transforming it into an artistic expression.