Monogram JHvH 1884 - 1952

Editor: So, this is Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries’ "Monogram JHvH," from between 1884 and 1952. It’s a graphic print done in ink on paper – it’s almost ghostly in its simplicity. What's your take on such an intimate work? Curator: Intimate, yes! It's like peeking into the artist's sketchbook. A monogram is such a personal mark, a declaration, even. The interwoven initials, 'JHvH'--do you get a sense of what they might represent, or perhaps even suggest about the artist's inner world? Editor: Not really, I’m sort of stuck on the simplicity of it. I keep wondering what he wanted to convey with it – is it just decorative? Curator: Perhaps. Or, is it a silent promise, a hidden dedication? Monograms, back then, were often linked to craftsmanship, legacy… Even a coded message. Does the monochrome ink make you think of a document, a faded memory, something timeless? Editor: I hadn’t thought about it like that. Seeing it as a document, or a memory does give it more depth, more possibility. It isn't just initials then, it's the potential of a whole hidden story, and all that on one tiny piece of paper. Curator: Exactly! Sometimes the smallest gestures speak the loudest, leaving the biggest mysteries. Editor: Thanks. It's funny, I feel like I just learned how to "read" a monogram, now I just need to figure out what story it has to tell.