Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1901 - 1918

Willem Witsen wrote this letter to Philip Zilcken in 1901 using a light silvery ink on a rectangular piece of paper. I like to imagine Witsen in his studio, maybe feeling a bit lonely, putting pen to paper, the words flowing out of him. The ink looks really thin, almost watery, like he's trying to be delicate, but the script is bold, full of intent. I wonder if he paused, pen hovering above the page, searching for the right word. Writing by hand, you know, is a bodily process, a dance between thought and action. The way we form letters, the pressure we apply, it all communicates something. Even the smudges and corrections. This letter reminds me that art is essentially a conversation—artists talking to each other across time and space, inspiring new ways of seeing and feeling.