Gedicht op het zwaard waarmee Johan van Oldenbarnevelt in 1619 zou zijn onthoofd Possibly 1745

This is a 1745 manuscript by Govert Klinkhamer of a poem about the sword used in the 1619 execution of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt. The poem is presented within an open book, its off-white pages setting a quiet, contemplative stage. The script is formed through elegant dark brown ink, with the poem presented in a formal script that is in contrast to the author's signature underneath. The composition uses the page to frame the lettering, each word carefully rendered to form a complex interplay of form and meaning. The poem itself acts as a symbolic structure. The linear progression of the poem, along with the formal script, evokes a sense of order that is challenged by the poem's theme of injustice. The materiality of the page further emphasizes the poem's historical context, with the ink acting as a permanent mark on the page that represents the lasting impact of Oldenbarnevelt's execution. This interplay between form and content invites us to reflect on the act of remembrance, and the artist's own commentary on power and justice.