Brief aan Anna Dorothea Dirks Possibly 1926

This is a letter from 1926 by Johan Huizinga, written on board the Cunard RMS Berengaria. The first thing that grabs me is the handwriting. It’s so personal, each word carefully placed, yet with a natural, flowing rhythm. Look at how the ink pools and thins, the subtle variations in pressure, like a dance across the page. You can almost feel the texture of the paper and the slight drag of the pen. There is a sense of movement as you follow along with the story he is telling, the kind of thing that feels unique to the writer themself. It reminds me of the letters I wrote to friends when I was younger, the ones I sent before emails took over. It is a form of communication with a character and a charm all its own. I am reminded of the drawings of Cy Twombly, which also have a beautiful sense of freedom and immediacy. Art is just an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time, isn't it?