Brief aan Wouter Verschuur (1812-1874) Possibly 1862 - 1864

Curator: Let’s dive right into this intriguing object. Editor: So, this is "Brief aan Wouter Verschuur (1812-1874)," a letter likely written between 1862 and 1864 by Andreas Schelfhout. It's pen and ink on paper. It's a handwritten letter... it seems so fragile, and yet the words convey a strength of sentiment. How should we approach understanding this artifact? Curator: Given that the materiality here is paramount – the labor of writing, the scarcity and value of paper and ink – it might be fruitful to consider this within a network of artistic and economic exchange. Penmanship itself was a valuable skill; calligraphy an art. Was this letter a commission, perhaps? Or was the very act of producing beautiful script a form of artistic creation, like a drawing? Editor: That's an interesting thought. It’s romantic in style but created using mundane items – paper and ink – which are themselves products of industry. The physical act of handwriting… Curator: Exactly. Consider the production of paper, the harvesting of materials for ink – these are tangible processes that underpinned not only artistic expression, but also the administration and maintenance of social hierarchies. Think about the recipient, Wouter Verschuur. Was he also an artist? Was there an artistic or market relationship between them? Editor: It would be worth investigating. Considering the effort put into writing, this might not be an informal means of communications between close peers but a highly formalized business exchange! It certainly pushes back against the stereotype of the solitary, divinely inspired Romantic artist. Curator: Precisely. By foregrounding process and material, we can challenge preconceived notions about artistic production. Editor: That changes my understanding quite a bit. Focusing on the writing process itself as a work opens many new doors to investigate.