Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1903 - 1911

This letter to Jan Veth was made with ink on paper by Jozef Israëls, its dark script a striking contrast to the creamy, light ground. Imagine Israëls writing quickly, the pen dancing across the paper as he tries to get all of his thoughts down. There's a certain intimacy to handwriting, isn't there? You can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the page. What do you think he was thinking as he pressed the nib into the paper to create those expressive marks? For me, the thick and thin lines create a certain rhythm. The way he loops his letters reminds me of the swirls of paint in a Turner landscape. Israëls was part of the Hague School, so I am sure he looked to other artists for inspiration and guidance as all artists do. The letter's not just a message; it’s a trace of the artist's presence, a tangible connection to the past and an expression of the need for human connection.