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Daniel Bellingradt

There is a paper story in this painting from 1672: welcome to the shortest thread for in one post only (plus much more details in the alt-text)

1 - a paper letter (being moved)
2 - used paper sheets (messy)
3 - a document bag! (fun)
4 - stored paper sheets (waiting)
5 - waste paper (lying around)

1) Here, in detail no. 1, a written piece of paper, neatly folded and full of information, is given from the notary to a client. This might be a letter, a contract, or a legal document. 2) Used paper sheets caused problems as highlighted in detail no. 2. Used paper was waiting to be used again (as reading matter). Too often newly written communication flows inspired new papers of the future. And in between: the sheets were waiting somewhere. 3) Using papers led to storing and ordering needs. So, where to put all the used and waiting paper? This notary office, decided, like many secretaries at the time, to use document bags (detail no. 3) - literally filled with written paper pages. 4) A closer look at every administrative activity of the period offers stored and waiting fresh paper sheets. Yet unused artifacts in different trading units of the paper trade: As detail no. 4 shows, you could buy paper as single sheets or in units up to 500, in the preferred format, quality and size, by the way. 5) Wherever paper was used, waste paper could also be found. Here, in detail no. 5 paper leftovers, waste papers, are lying on the floor next to a used quill. The presence of fresh unused papers, written upon "used" papers, and waste papers, in one scene reminds us of the material life of hand-made paper in early modern Europe: it was produced, it was used, and it was recycled - often to fresh 'new' paper. The painting: Jan Berckheyde "A Notary in His Office" 1672.
#histodons#bookhistory
Nov 15, 2024, 09:48 AM·Public·Web
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Robert Dale Parker

@dbellingradt

Cool. Who is the painter, and where?

Is there not also paper on the desk? And is the guy on the left reaching into his bag/purse to get money to pay for something? Any chance that the money could be paper, or is it too early for paper money? And beneath #2 there are books with paper pages.

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