Brief aan Kunstzaal Pictura 1814 - 1818

Editor: This intriguing piece, "Brief aan Kunstzaal Pictura," created between 1814 and 1818 by Abraham Delfos, uses pen and ink on paper. It's housed at the Rijksmuseum. Initially, it strikes me as dense, almost a visual puzzle because it's text as art. What do you see in this work? Curator: It is a drawing comprised of calligraphic penmanship of astonishing consistency. Observe how the lines, predominantly dark and unbroken, maintain a uniformity throughout the surface. Semiotically, each word serves not just as text, but as an abstract design element in the drawing. This formal construction emphasizes visual cohesion over purely legibility. Editor: So, you are focusing on the composition, not necessarily what the letter says. What would you say is most critical? Curator: Yes. Look at the density created by the tight kerning and careful leading. The work exists on the surface itself, through light, shadow, shape and density. Delfos seems less concerned with narrative. Do you see what this focus might indicate to us as scholars of form? Editor: I see your point. It makes me realize I need to see it as a study of shapes rather than just a letter. Curator: Exactly. This work offers an opportunity to study line and shape. Instead of narrative, we can focus on what each individual stroke adds to the final design and the power the text wields in composition and use of materials. Editor: I didn’t think about the lettering and text being considered from a purely aesthetic viewpoint. Now I see this as something completely different, like an intricate web of deliberate markings. Thanks!