Cadetten-almanak 1912

This "Cadetten-almanak" or Cadet Almanac from 1913 made by Naamloze Vennootschap Bredasche Boekh, a Dutch publishing company, gives off this sense of poised and ordered planning. You can feel the weight of an institution behind it, the layers of bureaucracy almost palpable. The paper itself is a star here, its texture hinting at a story of its own. You can almost see the fibers, that slightly uneven surface, and imagine the paper mill where it was made. The ink, too, has this faded, sepia quality, lending the whole thing a nostalgic, almost melancholic air. Look at the way the light catches the paper, creating shadows and highlights. It is in these nuances that the almanac truly comes alive. It reminds me a little of Agnes Martin's grids, so spare and simple, yet hinting at the vastness of inner space. Ultimately, this almanac shows us that even the most mundane objects can hold unexpected beauty and depth if we take the time to really look.