Brief aan August Allebé Possibly 1916

This is a letter to August Allebé from jonkheer Barthold Willem Floris van Riemsdijk, penned in 1916. Van Riemsdijk, who lived from 1850 to 1942, was writing to inquire about Allebé’s time as Director of the Rijks Academy for a new R.Mus catalogue. Considered within the context of Dutch society, the interaction between these two men speaks volumes about the dynamics of artistic and institutional power. Both individuals navigated a world shaped by class and cultural expectations. As a jonkheer, Van Riemsdijk occupied a position of privilege within the Dutch aristocracy, wielding influence within cultural institutions. Allebé, as an artist and director, embodied a different kind of authority, one derived from artistic skill and institutional leadership. The delicate script and polite tone of the letter also hint at the social rituals governing communication and relationships within artistic circles of the time. This exchange is a reminder of the layered identities and intricate social fabric that shaped artistic production and reception.