Blad 79 uit Stamboek van de leerlingen der Koloniale School voor Meisjes en Vrouwen te 's-Gravenhage deel I (1921-1929) Possibly 1928

This spread from a student register, made in the 1920s at a Dutch finishing school, really sings to me. It's a painting made with a pen! I imagine someone sitting in a quiet room, meticulously filling out the forms with names and dates. What were they thinking as they wrote each letter, each stroke a deliberate mark? The texture of the paper, the quality of the ink, the rhythm of handwriting—they all create a unique surface. Like the surface of a painting, the ink rests on the page, each entry like a mini abstract expressionist canvas. Look at the signatures, each one a tiny gesture, a fleeting expression of self. The person recording this information and the people signing were all in dialogue with each other and with the future readers of this strange, wonderful work. It's about process, about the unfolding of time, the layers of history. And the way handwriting feels so permanent, yet so deeply personal—almost like an abstract painting!