De bedelares van den Pont des Arts c. 1889 - 1894

Here we see a book titled, "De bedelares van den Pont des Arts" by Wilhelm Hauff. Its pages are open, presenting a stark interplay of text and absence. The right page features the title, author and publisher in a simple, yet elegant typeface. But it is the visual counterpoint on the left page that demands our attention. Here, we find a blank, outlined rectangle against a discolored and aged paper surface. The rectangle, like a missing picture frame, implies a void. The visual tension between the defined textual information on the right and the undefined, almost ghostly rectangle on the left invites us to consider what is not visible, what has been lost or perhaps never existed. It challenges the traditional function of illustration within a book, suggesting a space for the reader's imagination. This interplay between presence and absence destabilizes our expectations. It encourages a dialogue about the nature of representation and interpretation.