Brief aan August Allebé Possibly 1901 - 1911

This letter to August Allebé was penned in ink by Annie Ermeling, sometime in the early 20th century. You can see the artist’s hand through the controlled strokes and elegant loops which almost dance across the page. I can almost imagine Ermeling’s focused concentration and subtle shifts of pressure as the ink flows from her pen, each character forming a network of thought and feeling. The script looks like she’s in conversation with the recipient. I like to imagine her sitting at her desk, mulling over the precise wording and tone, while she hopes to convey her respect and sincerity. There’s a directness and simplicity in the language, a desire to connect and communicate effectively. I also think of the way her artwork may have been influenced by others and how she might have been thinking of those artists as she put pen to paper. Each letter contains the artist's presence, echoing across time and space.