Tentoonstellingscatalogus uit archief Jan Veth before 1918

This exhibition catalogue from the Jan Veth archive at the Rijksmuseum is, in a way, a ghost of a show. The simple, elegant type, pressed onto paper, announces an exhibition for August Allebé in 1918. The paper itself has a creamy, warm tone, offset by a dark typeface. I am really drawn to this contrast – the dark impressions of the font on the page. The texture of the paper has a visual depth to it which, combined with the folded creases, give it a kind of history. I wonder how many hands have held this catalogue? There’s a quietness, a stillness to this piece. I think this resonates, for me, with the work of someone like Agnes Martin – that feeling of quiet contemplation that unfolds the more you look. It reminds us that art doesn't always need to shout; sometimes, it whispers.