Brief aan Frans Buffa en Zonen Possibly 1875

This letter was penned by Mari ten Kate, likely in 1895. Here, the artist's hand guides the quill, creating a visual rhythm of thick and thin strokes across the page. The composition is structured by these lines of text, which march down the page in orderly columns, creating a sense of formal structure, a balance between the strokes and the negative space of the paper. It is an example of the artist's use of line to create form, and how even the act of writing can become an act of artistic expression. Indeed, the letter operates on a semiotic level, where the written words serve as signs carrying meaning beyond their immediate visual presence. The signature at the bottom anchors the composition, offering a flourish that underscores the personal nature of the communication. We might consider how this merges the functional and the aesthetic.