Aantekening betreffende de schilderijenverzameling van Willem Lormier Possibly 1753

Curator: The item before us is entitled "Aantekening betreffende de schilderijenverzameling van Willem Lormier," tentatively dated to 1753. It's an ink drawing on paper. Editor: Immediately, it feels… utilitarian. The handwriting is functional, precise. Like a glimpse into someone's personal finances, rather than a curated artistic statement. A very matter-of-fact script that is surprisingly interesting. Curator: Exactly! Lormier, whose name is attached, was known as an art collector, not necessarily an artist. What we are seeing is quite possibly a page torn from an inventory or accounting ledger related to his collection of paintings. Editor: So this isn't necessarily 'art' in the traditional sense? It's a document... a paper trail of art? This changes everything. It highlights art's connection to wealth, privilege, and the economic systems of the time. How interesting to think of each line item as potentially representative of a much larger piece we aren't seeing. Curator: I am fascinated by the almost obsessive details about costs, a veritable symphony of numbers, yet it hints at the stories behind these paintings. This was created during the Dutch Golden Age; an explosion of artistic production fueled by global trade. What a concept – an artwork that symbolizes not one specific masterpiece, but a whole collection that now possibly only exists as descriptions on paper. Editor: And who are the “van Haques de Bore”, “Gerrand Block”, “van Verschydes” referenced on the document? Artists, collectors, dealers? People who maybe aren't mentioned in larger history books. And that final line: “Kostenmijn alle de schilderyen met de onkossen nog de Sommeren” -- is this summing everything up? The cost of the paintings along with other associated expenses? It is tempting to imagine this man hunched over this ledger in his candle lit study. Curator: Precisely. To think, what stories does a simple page hold within its numbers and tight script! Editor: Absolutely. I'll certainly never look at an old inventory the same way again! Thank you.