Overlijdensbericht Paul Rink Possibly 1903 - 1909

Corrie Rink-Boellaard created this notice in 1903 in Edam; it’s a printed announcement, a black and white document, simple in its design, yet heavy with emotion. I imagine Corrie, recently widowed, grappling with grief. Did she select this design, or was it a standard template offered by the printer? The formal typeface contrasts sharply with the raw pain of the message. "Heden overleed na een kortstondig lijden mijn innig geliefde Echtgenoot Paul Rink" – "Today passed away after a brief suffering my deeply beloved Husband Paul Rink." The starkness is striking, like a minimalist painting stripped bare. The rigid border tries to contain the uncontainable. But the tear at the bottom left corner hints at the fragility beneath. Maybe the notice is a gesture of remembrance, a small act of defiance against the finality of death. It makes me wonder about all the other unseen hands that have held this fragile piece of paper, each one a silent witness to Corrie's loss.