Brief aan de adjudant van Willem II (koning der Nederlanden) Possibly 1845

This is "Brief aan de adjudant van Willem II (koning der Nederlanden)", made by Nicaise De Keyser. It is comprised of paper and ink. What we see here is a material encounter between the artist and his task. The ink flows in a particular rhythm, driven by the nib and the hand that holds it. Each stroke is a deliberate gesture, yet the overall effect suggests an unburdened flow of information. The letter’s very existence depends on the labor of papermakers, and the makers of ink. Consider the social context of this kind of labor: paper was not cheap in the mid-19th century. Moreover, handwriting was a skill, one possessed by the relatively privileged. You can imagine De Keyser pausing to reflect on the weight of each word, as he pressed the nib to paper. The contrast between the artist’s careful, deliberate strokes and the relative mass production of paper reminds us that even seemingly straightforward documents are layered with social meaning. It is an encounter with history, brought forth through the humblest of materials.