Brief aan de Commissie van de Tentoonstelling van Levende Meesters in Amsterdam Possibly 1840

This is a letter addressed to the Committee of the Exhibition of Living Masters in Amsterdam, most likely written in 1840 by W. F. van Otterloo. The letter, rendered in faded ink, presents a study in contrasts. The letterform itself is a key structural element, its rectangular shape establishing a boundary within which a flurry of script unfolds. Its texture is crucial; the paper's surface interacts with the ink, creating a visual field of varying density and tone. Light dances across the page, catching the subtle indentations left by the writer’s hand. The artist’s script acts as a semiotic system; each stroke, curve, and flourish conveys meaning beyond the literal words. We can look at this piece through the lens of poststructuralism, considering how the fixed meaning of language dissolves into a play of interpretation. The formal arrangement of the script destabilizes traditional notions of textual hierarchy, inviting us to question how meaning is constructed and received.