Brief aan August Allebé Possibly 1907

Editor: This is "Brief aan August Allebé," possibly from 1907, by C.G.V. Schöffer. It’s an ink drawing on paper. I find the looping script really beautiful, but also a little hard to decipher! What jumps out at you? Curator: Oh, it whispers secrets, doesn't it? Like a hidden diary found in a dusty attic. Beyond the obvious visual delight of the calligraphy, which, let’s face it, is pretty swoon-worthy, I see a struggle between formality and intimacy. Do you see how the formal layout of a letter attempts to contain the almost feverish energy of the handwriting itself? Editor: I hadn’t thought about that tension, but now I definitely see it! It almost feels like the artist's personality is bursting through the constraints of the written form. Curator: Precisely! Imagine Schöffer, pen in hand, perhaps late at night, pouring his thoughts and feelings onto the page. This isn’t just communication; it’s an act of self-expression. Each stroke of the pen is like a breath, a feeling given shape. What do you think the phrase "Verba volant, scripta manent" adds to the piece? Editor: “Spoken words fly away, written words remain.” It’s like a commentary on the fleeting nature of conversation versus the permanence of art. Curator: Exactly. And, given the intimate and personal nature of the letter, it transforms a simple message into something...more. Editor: I agree, looking closer now, I find it beautiful how a mundane object can transcend. Curator: It does give the common letter such an elevated mood, does it not? It reminds us that even in our quick digital age, handwriting can leave an echo into the future.