Naamlijst van dichters 1743 - 1745

Editor: Here we have "Naamlijst van dichters," or "List of Poets," an anonymous drawing from around 1743-1745. It's ink and watercolors on paper. It looks almost like a notebook page, simple but the handwriting has a certain charm. What do you make of it? Curator: This isn't just handwriting; it's an example of labour, and it challenges our assumptions of 'high art.' Ink and watercolour drawings on paper. The paper itself – was it mass produced, handmade? Who produced it, under what conditions? Think about the act of writing itself, especially before mass literacy. It was a skilled practice, tied to specific trades and access to knowledge. Who were these poets and how are their names associated with commerce, guilds, family lineages? Editor: So, you’re less interested in the poetry itself and more in…the physical act of writing and the making of the object? Curator: Precisely. Look at the apparent simplicity. But this simplicity is deceptive. Who chose to write these names? For what purpose? To what extent could it have served to represent some form of labour, or to display knowledge to a select circle or a means for social distinction through the careful acquisition of knowledge through calligraphy and materials. Editor: It’s true, I hadn’t considered the social implications of just the writing itself. Almost like a demonstration of skill, or, like you said, access. Curator: Exactly. We're looking at a document rooted in specific material practices and social dynamics. Think of the quill, the ink, the labour involved. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about! I never really considered how much could be gleaned from the materials themselves. Thanks!