Loterijbrief Possibly 1813

Curator: This printed etching from 1813 is titled "Loterijbrief." The artist is D.C. de Groot Jamin. Editor: My first thought is this thing looks fragile, a relic of another time, yet it also has an air of anticipation. It's just a humble scrap of paper promising... what? Riches? Hope? Curator: Indeed. It's a lottery ticket, meticulously designed with typography that speaks of Dutch Golden Age traditions but rendered with a touch of vulnerability, even humour, in its handwritten annotations. Editor: The formality of the printed text contrasts sharply with the casual handwriting, though. It's like the dreams scribbled in the margins of a formal contract. And the '113th Lottery’ mentioned prominently implies a rich cultural history of the game. Curator: Exactly. Consider the function: to sell dreams of chance, and, in structuralist terms, the text is not merely informative, but performative. The promise of 'Prys of Premie' enacts a desire, embedding the purchaser into a network of potential and anxiety. The materiality, too. The ink on paper is both humble and yet archival. Editor: You can almost feel the holder clutching this little rectangle, willing fortune into being. I imagine it being pinned to someone's smock, a hopeful talisman against a backdrop of probable disappointment. The language itself becomes tactile and deeply emotional. It's a beautiful metaphor, isn't it, this small chance represented on crumbling paper? Curator: Precisely! This seemingly simple lottery ticket shows us how intimately chance, hope, and material reality were entwined then. It makes one wonder what futures folks envisioned as they purchased that fleeting piece of paper. Editor: It makes me want to try my luck in some old lottery, or maybe just plant some flowers; sometimes those provide an equally rewarding kind of lottery, you know?