Brief aan Philip Zilcken before 1906

Charles Snabilié made this letter to Philip Zilcken with ink on paper; it’s a flurry of handwriting, a real dance of dark lines against the pale page. The process of writing, the very act of putting pen to paper, becomes visible. You can almost feel Snabilié’s hand moving across the page, the pressure of the pen leaving its trace. The ink isn’t uniform; it varies in tone, a testament to the changing speed and pressure of his hand. Look at how some lines are thick and confident, while others are thin and hesitant. Each stroke is a little performance, a record of the moment. Thinking about Snabilié, I'm reminded of Cy Twombly, whose scribbled paintings capture a similar sense of immediacy and gesture. Both artists invite us to appreciate the beauty and expressiveness of the mark itself, recognizing that meaning isn't just in the words, but in the way they're brought into being. Art is just a long conversation that way, don't you think?