Copyright: Rijks Museum: Open Domain
This is a letter, written in Dutch by Adrianus Johannes Ehnle, sometime in the mid-19th century. Without a specific date, the contents of the letter are our primary window into its social context. The letter seems to discuss personal matters, perhaps concerning health and family. It mentions sending a painting ("schilderijtje"), suggesting Ehnle was corresponding with a patron or fellow artist. The references to family matters and health indicate a culture where personal connections and well-being were central to social life. As a historian, I would research the recipients mentioned—Verpoorten, Barnals, Dreibhede—to understand their social standing and relationship to Ehnle. Examining local archives from Haarlem, where Ehnle seems to have been headed, might reveal more about the artistic and social networks of the time. Only then can we fully appreciate this letter as a material object embedded in a specific moment of 19th-century Dutch society.
Be the first to comment and join the conversation on the ultimate creative platform.