Briefkaart aan Jan Veth Possibly 1903 - 1913

This postcard to Jan Veth by Johannes Martinus Messchaert is all about the dance of the hand across paper. I love the dark ink against the cream ground. You can see the artist finding their way. Imagine Messchaert, maybe a pen in hand, hovering and pausing before committing each stroke. See those elegant, looping ascenders and descenders? They remind me that writing, like painting, is a physical act. The pressure, the speed, the lift of the pen – each one communicates feeling, intention, or meaning. Look how the handwritten letters break free from the rigid lines of the printed form. It is like Messchaert is conversing with the postcard itself, both constrained and liberated by its structure. This piece isn't just about conveying information; it's about the joy of mark-making, about the artist leaving a trace of themselves in the world. I feel like as artists we're all in ongoing conversation – an exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity.