Acht handtekeningen geplakt op een blad met bladeren en bloemen en decoratieve rand 1904

Curator: Here we have “Acht handtekeningen geplakt op een blad met bladeren en bloemen en decoratieve rand,” which translates to “Eight signatures pasted on a sheet with leaves and flowers and decorative border." Created around 1904 by George Lourens Kiers, it resides in the Rijksmuseum. It's a fascinating drawing, all done with pen and ink on paper. Editor: Immediately I’m struck by how delicate and ornate it feels. Like a secret botanical society's scrapbook page. It has such a composed order to the scattered look, if that makes sense. Almost a flowery architectural layout of signatures! Curator: Exactly. I think that tension between control and organic form is precisely where Kiers' talent shines. The Art Nouveau influence is quite obvious in the looping vines and detailed blossoms. Each signature feels carefully placed within the web. Editor: And those signatures! It's so curious. Whose hands were these, pressed onto paper and framed by flourishing plant-life? Are these figure's contribution the material for the flourish? We tend to forget paper itself is a product that stems from production and labor and from botanical matter. Curator: Perhaps colleagues, or simply admired figures, commemorated in this uniquely personal way. The choice to physically paste the signatures rather than copy them seems quite important. Like the raw, actual, objectness of their individuality is essential. The gesture is intimate and also serves to frame people who participated in his environment. Editor: Absolutely! It speaks to a belief in the inherent value, even aura, contained within the physical artifact, the signed card. Each paste presents unique characteristics of each labor that contributed to make the product Curator: In a way, the leaves and blossoms serve as a kind of social commentary—do these elements elevate or entwine the signatures? Do they complement or distract from them? Or simply record these signatures within a creative botanical process that he, the maker, contributed? Editor: The signatures become objects too, subject to arrangement and display, questioning this hierarchy. I’m also pondering what that says about the consumption of signature too - in 1904. Now we are in the age of the NFT. Do these drawings become prototypes of value, production, display? It is curious that there were multiple parties at hand, like most things. Curator: This piece offers a whimsical glimpse into Kiers’ social world. It reminds me that creativity often thrives at the intersection of human connection and organic inspiration. Editor: Agreed. Thinking about how materials meet marks and create the opportunity for signatures that signify much about society. Thanks for showing this piece!