Brief aan Mien Cambier van Nooten Possibly 1937 - 1939

Editor: We're looking at a drawing entitled "Brief aan Mien Cambier van Nooten," thought to be from 1937-1939 by Dick Ket. It's ink on paper and from the Rijksmuseum collection. What immediately strikes me is the density of the writing. It feels very intimate, almost like we are intruding on a private conversation. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Well, you’ve already touched upon some key aspects. Think about the social context of letter writing at this time. It wasn’t just about relaying information; it was a deeply performative act, solidifying social bonds and hierarchies. Given Ket's biography, and the constraints he faced due to his health, correspondence held particular weight. How might his physical limitations shape not just the *content* of the letter, but the visual presentation itself? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't considered the connection to his physical state. So, his health would restrict social interactions? Curator: Exactly. The letter, with its cramped but beautiful script, becomes almost a proxy for personal interaction, a way to maintain his place within a social sphere from which he was often excluded. We also have to consider Ket’s position within the art world itself; letters were vital to maintain contacts, engage in debates, secure patronage… Where might this specific letter fit into that framework? Editor: Perhaps it was also a way to construct and project an ideal version of himself, beyond his physical limitations? Curator: Precisely! So, it’s more than just the *words* he's using; it’s about how he crafts an identity through the very act of writing, for both his intended reader and, perhaps, a future audience like us. Editor: I hadn't thought about letters in such a performative way. Curator: That's often the power of revisiting seemingly straightforward historical materials – they often reveal complex negotiations of self and society.