Brief aan Frans Buffa en Zonen Possibly 1865 - 1866

This is a letter to Frans Buffa en Zonen, penned in 1865 by Johannes Hubertus Leonardus de Haas. The stark contrast of black ink on the off-white paper immediately draws your eye to the graceful yet assertive lines of the handwriting. The controlled chaos of the script creates a visual rhythm across the page, pulling you into its textual embrace. The form of this letter disrupts conventional modes of communication, intertwining the personal with the transactional. Each flourish and stroke challenges fixed meanings, suggesting a world where art and commerce are deeply interwoven. De Haas uses the semiotic system of writing to convey his message, but the aesthetic qualities of the script elevate it beyond mere information exchange. The materiality of the letter—the texture of the paper, the viscosity of the ink—engages with broader philosophical concerns about presence and absence. The letter, as a physical object, underscores that art transcends its aesthetic function. It operates within a complex interplay of cultural and philosophical ideas.