Brief aan Frans Buffa en Zonen Possibly 1875

This is a letter written by Gerke Henkes to Frans Buffa en Zonen, dated May 18, 1875. Henkes, born in the Netherlands, was working in a time where artists often relied on patronage and the art market to survive. This letter, now a historical artifact, offers insight into the financial transactions and relationships between artists and art dealers of the time. Handwritten in Dutch, the letter discusses the price of a painting, negotiating its value. The act of writing itself becomes a poignant expression of the artist's labor and his attempts to navigate the economic structures of the art world. It brings forth the emotional undercurrent of an artist seeking fair compensation for their creative work. It humanizes the artist, revealing the practical and sometimes precarious aspects of their profession. It reflects the societal conditions that dictated the livelihood of artists like Henkes, inviting us to reflect on the economics of art and the value we place on creative labor.