Brief aan Pieter Haverkorn van Rijsewijk Possibly 1898

This letter, written in Leipzig on December 6, 1898, by Julius R. Haarhaus, offers us a glimpse into the world of art scholarship at the turn of the century. Its material – paper and ink – are humble, everyday tools of communication, yet they carry a weight of intellectual labor. Consider the handwritten script, each stroke a deliberate act of transcription and thought. The letter reveals the writer's engagement with images and scholarly debate around the "Portrait of Erasmus", reflecting a time before instant digital communication, where correspondence itself was a form of slow, careful making. Each phrase, each observation, is a testament to the work involved in producing and sharing knowledge. Haarhaus is essentially crafting an argument, a meticulous process that mirrors the craftsmanship he analyses in the Holbein portraits. By examining the material of this letter, we recognise that the act of writing – like any form of making – is deeply embedded in social and intellectual exchange.