Brief aan Pieter Verloren van Themaat Possibly 1866

This is a letter by Matthijs Maris to Pieter Verloren van Themaat, created in 1866. The visual experience of this artwork is dominated by the delicate lines of Maris' handwriting, which form dense thickets of text. The ink, faded with age, presents a study in greys against the off-white paper, evoking a sense of historical distance. In terms of semiotics, the letter itself is a sign, pointing to a network of social and cultural relationships. The formal structure of the letter – salutation, body, signature – creates a framework for communication. Yet the handwritten nature adds a layer of intimacy and personality, destabilizing the formality. Maris’s letter functions not merely as a means of conveying information but also as an artifact imbued with the aura of its creator. It challenges our notions of what constitutes a work of art, suggesting that even the most mundane objects can become sites of aesthetic and historical inquiry.