Brief aan August Allebé Possibly 1887

Curator: Looking at this work, titled "Brief aan August Allebé," potentially from 1887 and created with pen and ink on paper by Johannes Bakker Korff Jr., what strikes you initially? Editor: Well, seeing it's an old letter, what really jumps out is the craftsmanship evident in the calligraphy. It's so precise. What do you make of the materiality of this work? Curator: As a materialist, I'm immediately drawn to the means of production here. The tools—the pen, the ink, the paper—were instruments readily available but required skillful labor. This isn't simply about conveying information; it's about the act of writing as a deliberate process, a performative act utilizing craft. The calligraphy isn't merely functional; it's expressive, imbuing the text with a certain texture, wouldn’t you agree? It invites us to consider who had access to such materials and the literacy needed to produce this kind of work. Editor: That’s interesting, I hadn't considered access. Curator: And what social context informs a handwritten letter in this era, particularly considering its recipient, August Allebé, another artist? Editor: Perhaps it's an appeal for artistic guidance, considering Allebé's reputation? It feels almost like an artisan apprenticeship through written communication. Curator: Precisely. It pushes us to question the hierarchies within art production, blurring the lines between a ‘high art’ painting and the everyday labor of writing a letter. The social exchange embedded in this ‘simple’ correspondence carries its own value, informed by both its creator and its receiver, their relationships and the time. Editor: So by studying the materials and how they were used, we gain insight into not just the artistic merit, but the historical and social dynamics at play. Thanks, I see it now. Curator: Precisely. Focusing on the physical and the making reveals volumes beyond aesthetics.