Brief aan Adriaan van der Willigen, lid van de commissie van de Tentoonstelling van Levende Meesters in Haarlem 1812 - 1841

This letter, written by Charles Louis Verboeckhoven, was sent to Adriaan van der Willigen, a member of the exhibition committee, during the 19th century. It offers a glimpse into the social and institutional dynamics of the art world at the time. The letter likely pertains to the selection or pricing of Verboeckhoven's works for an exhibition, shedding light on the artist's negotiations with the art establishment of Haarlem. The very existence of such exhibitions reveals the institutional structures that shaped artistic careers and public taste. The formal tone and careful handwriting suggest a degree of deference to the committee member, indicative of the artist's position within the art world hierarchy. Examining the records of the "Tentoonstelling van Levende Meesters" and correspondence of figures like Van der Willigen could further illuminate the social conditions that shaped artistic production in the Netherlands. This object reminds us that the meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.