Boekje over Maria van Reigersberg 19th century

This is a small book about Maria van Reigersberg, made by an anonymous artist, and held at the Rijksmuseum. The book's cover presents a study in contrasts between the stark formality of its typography and the subtle irregularities of its aged paper. The title, rendered in a somber, serif typeface, commands the center, a rigid grid that speaks to the conventions of early printing. Yet, this order is immediately softened by the paper itself. Its uneven texture and faded ivory hue introduce an element of chance. Here, the formalism of text encounters the unpredictable materiality of its medium. The eye is drawn to the bottom corner, where the year 1653 is scrawled. This addition subverts the book's design, pulling us back to a specific moment in time. What we see in this small book is not merely a presentation of text, but a dynamic interplay between intention and accident.