Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1899

This is a letter written in 1899 by the Dutch poet Albert Verwey. It's addressed to Jan Veth, who was an artist, critic, poet, and art collector. What might strike us first is the close relationship between art and literature at the time. Verwey asks Veth to cash some shares of Rembrandt, or others, from his inheritance, so he may be able to contribute to a certain journal. This letter demonstrates that artists and writers depended on each other and on the same institutions for patronage. We can see this relationship in other documents from this period, such as letters, journals, and exhibition catalogs. The exchange between the two artists offers a window into the financial realities that shaped artistic production in the Netherlands at the end of the 19th century. Further research into the biographies of Verwey and Veth, as well as the history of the journal mentioned in the letter, would undoubtedly enrich our understanding of this artwork.