Brief aan L. Hardenberg Possibly 1863 - 1864

This is "Brief aan L. Hardenberg," a letter created in 1863 by Bastiaan de Poorter. What strikes me is the stark contrast between the dense, inky script and the pale, fibrous paper. De Poorter’s script functions as a visual field. The letterform itself is both a medium of communication and an aesthetic object, a duality that destabilizes conventional distinctions between form and content. The controlled rhythm of the handwriting is almost musical, inviting a semiotic reading where each stroke and flourish acts as a signifier. The structural layout of the text is also significant. Notice how the even columns of text create a sense of order, yet the slight irregularities in spacing and pressure introduce an element of human imperfection, thereby undercutting any pretense of absolute control. The letter invites us to reconsider the act of writing not merely as a means of conveying information, but as a layered, expressive practice that engages with ideas of presence and absence.