Facsimile van een brief van Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn c. 1840 - 1841

This is a facsimile of a letter by Rembrandt van Rijn, though the artist responsible for its creation remains anonymous. The composition is strikingly simple. We see two distinct rectangles of paper juxtaposed against a dark background. One sheet is pristine, blank, and slightly larger, while the other bears the trace of Rembrandt's signature. The contrast between the two sheets establishes a semiotic interplay between presence and absence, authenticity and reproduction. The visible script, with its elegant flourishes, becomes a focal point. Its very presence invites a kind of structuralist reading. The copy of the signature undermines any fixed sense of originality. What does it mean to witness a copy instead of the "real thing?" The artwork destabilizes conventional notions of authorship and authenticity. Ultimately, this facsimile prompts us to consider how we engage with historical artifacts and the shifting nature of artistic value in an age of mechanical reproduction.