Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1922 - 1929

Curator: This piece is a letter titled "Brief aan Jan Veth," possibly from 1922 to 1929, by Jean Pierre Moquette. It’s an ink drawing on paper. Editor: It looks quite personal, almost like you are intruding into something very private. It gives the feeling of looking at someone's journal. How can we look at it objectively when it has these kinds of themes? Curator: Its value resides precisely in the execution. Note how the artist skillfully manipulates the ink. Look at the density, line quality, and overall composition. This is an exercise in texture. Editor: Texture, okay, but I'm still focused on what the letter *says*, not necessarily *how* it says it. Can we just ignore the content of the letter? Curator: Think of it as a system. In this instance, the textual aspect contributes just one structural element within the total work. The very handwriting gives rise to more aesthetic texture in a literal sense. Look again at how certain words stand apart. Editor: I can see what you mean by looking at the piece more as an aesthetic object now; rather than worrying about it feeling so "intimate." Focusing on his specific penmanship style. Curator: Exactly. Moquette compels us to decode its structural properties with visual grammar. We begin to explore his expressionist mark making by observing his individual script and placement choices upon the page. Editor: So, even the unintentional smudges and blots are part of the artistic structure? It seems so much richer to analyze when I am not so focused on wanting to know exactly what he is saying. Curator: Absolutely. When we begin focusing upon line and form, its cultural essence will emerge gradually.