Ontvangstbewijs aan jonkheer Hendrik Teding van Berkhout (1879-1969) Possibly 1932

Curator: Welcome. Here we have "Ontvangstbewijs aan jonkheer Hendrik Teding van Berkhout," a drawing on paper, possibly from 1932, by Mommie Schwarz. Editor: My first thought is constraint. The stark off-white background isolates the flowing script, like a captured message. It's visually austere. Curator: Yes, consider the form: Two distinct paper fields—the letter, and what appears to be a receipt—abut each other. Note the script. Schwarz has used flowing loops, and the contrast between line weight and thin wisps lends it graphic sensibility. Observe that Amsterdam postmark, confirming its date. Editor: That Amsterdam postmark interests me—it feels tied to history and a very specific place. What does this handwriting say? Is this a common layout for official communications in that period, because what is being communicated takes on more resonance. Curator: The document confirms receipt of items, specifying "three etches from the Rijks Print Cabinet" and "one portfolio of drawings." It presents as simple provenance. Editor: So, this symbolizes institutional trust and record-keeping? "Portfolio of drawings," for me, becomes the most compelling piece. That hints at artistic production itself, veiled in an official record. Also look at the choice of the drawing as opposed to a more impersonal typed invoice which seems important. Curator: Perhaps the informality highlights the artist's close relationships with the institution and its directors. The placement, combined with line quality of each stroke—creates spatial relationships and suggests hierarchy. Editor: For me, that simple phrase conjures artistic activity, studios overflowing with drawings, the selection process…it hints at untold stories lurking behind this bureaucratic trace. There are also the words written on a seperate card to whom it addresses that makes it interesting too. Curator: True. These kinds of textual remnants allow one a tangible access to the networks and support system sustaining artists of this time. We can appreciate how Schwarz has woven elements of formal graphic arrangement in a unique interplay here. Editor: And it's interesting to look past the surface of an ordinary invoice to glimpse art and community.