Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1902 - 1909

This letter was written by Theo van Hoytema to Philip Zilcken in 1902, in Hilversum, using ink on paper. The ink strokes dance across the page, looping and diving with a rhythm that feels both spontaneous and deliberate. You can see the character of the writer in every stroke. I can imagine Hoytema hunched over his desk, the nib of his pen scratching against the paper. He’s got a thought he needs to get down right now. Look at the way he forms each letter, the pressure he applies, the way the lines thicken and thin. It’s like a little performance, right? A direct trace of his hand, his mind. It makes me think about Cy Twombly. A different time, a different context, but there’s a similar energy, a similar sense of immediacy. Both artists using the written word as a kind of raw material. Hoytema is maybe having a conversation with Twombly across time. This letter feels so alive, like a little burst of energy captured in a moment. And isn’t that what all art is, really?