Brief aan Frans Buffa en Zonen Possibly 1853

This is a letter to Frans Buffa en Zonen by Henri Rochussen, dating back to 1856. The formal qualities of the letter are immediately striking. We see lines forming elegant script against the off-white of aged paper. The composition is simple: text dominates the upper portion, giving way to an expanse of blank space. This interplay between text and space reveals certain structuralist principles. The text itself functions as a sign, a carrier of meaning, yet its semiotic value cannot be separated from the material. Rochussen is not merely conveying information; he is also imbuing the communication with a certain aesthetic quality. In this interplay between formal presentation and function, we see how a simple letter becomes more than just a message. The letter can be interpreted as a cultural artifact. The visual structure invites us to consider the cultural codes at play.