Transcriptie van een brief aan mevrouw Artz after 1893

This transcription of a letter to Mrs Artz was written in 1795 by Pieter Haverkorn van Rijsewijk. The text relays the 1794 poem ‘For A' That and A' That’ by Robert Burns. Burns’ poem makes the case for social equality, and it is no accident that Van Rijsewijk was interested in it during this time. Written in the midst of the Batavian Revolution, the poem advocates for a radical, democratic spirit, and it comments on the social structures of its time. The poem references a period of political, social and cultural upheaval and it expresses some of the tensions that were brewing between conservative and progressive forces, as well as critiquing traditional institutions. For a deeper understanding of this letter, scholars can research the Batavian Revolution, the history of Scottish poetry, and the history of democratic movements in the Netherlands. The real meaning of this artwork relies on its social and institutional context.