Ontwerp van een schrijfvoorbeeld: Lux choses perilleuses (...) 1605

This calligraphic drawing titled "Ontwerp van een schrijfvoorbeeld: Lux choses perilleuses (...)" was made by Jan van de Velde I, sometime around the late 16th or early 17th century, using pen and ink. The drawing presents a dense interplay of swirling lines and elegant script. The composition is dominated by curvilinear forms that create a dynamic tension between the structured text and ornate flourishes. This visual push and pull invite us to explore the relationships between text and image, meaning and decoration. The meticulous rendering of each stroke reveals the artist's mastery of his medium, but what might all this ornamentation suggest? In this period, calligraphy was not just about conveying information, it was about visual rhetoric. The elaborate forms could be seen as a sign system, where beauty and complexity elevated the written word. It challenges the notion of language as a transparent medium and asks us to consider how the visual form of writing shapes its interpretation. As such, the drawing functions as a site where aesthetic and intellectual pursuits converge.