Berekeningen 1854 - 1868

This sheet, covered in numbers and calculations by Johannes Tavenraat, reveals more than mere arithmetic; it hints at the human quest for order amidst chaos. The numerals, meticulously inscribed, echo ancient systems of numerology and accounting, where numbers were not just tools for calculation but symbols of cosmic order. Consider how numerical notations have appeared in various epochs, from the Babylonian clay tablets to Renaissance merchants’ ledgers, each instance reflecting a society's attempt to quantify and control its world. The act of writing numbers itself transforms into a ritual, reminiscent of how early cultures used counting to understand the seasons and predict the future. The emotional weight of these figures might seem trivial, but each number represents a transaction, a measurement, a decision—laden with the anxieties and hopes of its time. These notations evoke a sense of continuity and the persistent human endeavor to decipher and dominate our environment through symbolic representation. The non-linear progression of these symbols resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings in different historical contexts.