Schrijflei met koker 1878 - 1924

Julie de Graag made this small drawing of a slate and pencil holder, a "Schrijflei met koker," with pen in ink. It's a tiny thing, like a daydream. I'm imagining De Graag's thought process when she made this, maybe a little bored, a little contemplative. I bet she was thinking about all the things we use to write with. Like, how did people even come up with the idea of a slate? And why a holder? Is it supposed to be fancy? What was she planning on writing with it? I’m drawn to how simple it is, but still somehow captures a sense of... something. Like, this image speaks to all the other images across time. It's a reminder that artists are always in conversation, always building on what came before, and it's not only about the finished thing, but also what is carried, transmitted, evoked. The thing and its shadow. Like writing a secret, then hiding the message in plain sight.