Brief aan Jan Veth 1865 - 1925

This handwritten letter to Jan Veth from 1892 presents a fascinating interplay between text and texture. The dominant visual element is the dense script, where lines of dark ink create a textured surface against the pale paper. The handwriting, with its loops and varying pressure, gives the letter an intimate, personal feel, characteristic of informal correspondence. The letter's structure—the arrangement of words and sentences—implies a stream of consciousness. Van Looij covers everyday and artistic matters. The letter destabilizes established meanings by revealing the informal thoughts and emotions of the artist. The materiality of the letter—the paper, the ink—highlights its status as a trace of a specific moment in time. Ultimately, the letter serves not just as a means of communication but as a record of human expression, intertwining the visual and the textual in a rich, semiotic tapestry.