Brief aan de heer Lampsins van der Velden, secretaris van de commissie van de Tentoonstelling van Levende Meesters in Utrecht Possibly 1848

This letter, penned by Frederik Hendrik Hendriks in 1842, is a study in the art of communication, but it's the handwriting itself that speaks volumes. Observe the elaborate loops and flourishes. The ascenders and descenders reach, almost yearning. Calligraphy, like other forms of visual expression, carries its own set of symbols. In this period, handwriting was a mark of education and social standing. The careful script reveals aspirations of refinement. Contrast this with our modern, utilitarian fonts. While our letters aim for clarity, this script seeks to express the self, echoing styles seen in illuminated manuscripts, where each letter was a work of art. It’s a gesture of respect, a performance meant to impress upon the recipient the sender’s worth and sincerity. The loops can be read as the curves of memory, carrying with them echoes of past forms, adapted, evolved, and reshaped to fit the present moment.