Brief aan de Commissie van de Tentoonstelling van Levende Meesters in Utrecht Possibly 1848

Editor: Here we have "Brief aan de Commissie van de Tentoonstelling van Levende Meesters in Utrecht", possibly from 1848, by Johannes Pieter van Wisselingh. It's a drawing in ink on paper. It looks like a handwritten letter. What catches your eye about this piece? Curator: As a materialist, I find the materiality of the letter itself fascinating. Consider the social context: paper as a commodity, the ink as a manufactured substance, the act of writing itself as a form of labor. The means of production were quite different back then. Editor: So, you are saying to look at the process as a cultural indicator. How was that labor seen at the time? Curator: Precisely! This is a formal request letter. And letters themselves played a critical role in the art world's development, allowing artists to communicate and advocate for themselves. The act of creating the materials--making paper and ink accessible--as well as the skill to pen the communication held value. Does it give you a fresh perspective on how much effort was needed to send information in 1848? Editor: Absolutely. I never thought about a letter as a made object like that before! Curator: It shows that everything around this, not just the drawing itself, comes together and informs how it was meant to be presented and shared. Editor: I am beginning to think how it represents art being embedded within society and economics! Thanks. Curator: A different view from our initial understanding! That’s the value in critically viewing all labor and creation.