Notities c. 1879

Here are the handwritten ‘Notities’ by Theo Hanrath. These notes feature the name "Stevens", a motif that resonates deeply across art history. Alfred Stevens, a Belgian painter known for his elegant genre scenes, appears here not merely as a name, but as a symbol. He is a purveyor of a certain bourgeois aesthetic, reflecting the desires and anxieties of his time. This is not so different from the women depicted by Ghirlandaio, emblems of beauty and virtue who embody their epoch's ideals. The act of noting, of jotting down thoughts, is itself a gesture rich with meaning. The gesture has recurred throughout the Renaissance, Baroque, and into our modern age, symbolizing the artist's quest for knowledge and the eternal pursuit of inspiration. The handwritten word, preserved on paper, becomes a potent reminder of the cyclical nature of history and the enduring power of human expression.