Vijftien lettermonogrammen (CDZ-DER) c. 1690 - 1691

Editor: Here we have Daniel de Lafeuille’s "Vijftien lettermonogrammen (CDZ-DER)," made around 1690-1691. It's a print of fifteen ornate letter designs in ink. It has such a formal yet playful air to it! What catches your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: What a lovely introduction. For me, it’s the dance between constraint and flourish. The artist clearly has a rigorous framework – these geometric letterforms, almost like a secret code – yet he explodes them with these swirling, organic lines. It reminds me that even rules can be a playground, a site for pure, joyful creation. Do you get that sense, too, the tension between structure and exuberance? Editor: Absolutely! It’s almost rebellious in its ornamentation, right? The letters want to break free from their constraints, reach for something more decorative. What would these have been used for at the time? Curator: Imagine a time when handwriting was an art, a declaration of status, and sealing wax was your personal brand! These monograms would have been coveted by the burgeoning bourgeoisie. A way to mark belongings, signify affiliations, maybe even declare secret loves! Each swirl tells a story. It whispers of societal aspirations, of power plays veiled in elegance, and, if you ask me, maybe a cheeky bit of self-importance. It makes me wonder, which monogram would I choose? Perhaps "DER"... it has a nice ring, doesn’t it? Editor: Haha! It does! I never thought of calligraphy as having that level of social signaling and…well, mischief. I’ll definitely look at letterforms differently from now on. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. Every stroke, a potential narrative. That's the beauty of art, isn’t it? It speaks volumes, even when it's just scribbling fancy letters.