Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1900 - 1907

This letter was written by Willem Witsen on paper in 1900. The looping cursive feels intimate, doesn't it? The pen strokes vary in weight, creating moments of dark intensity and light delicacy. For me, that’s where the magic of the piece lies, right there in the process of writing. Look closely at the way Witsen forms each letter. Some are rushed, almost collapsing into each other, while others stand tall with a confident flourish. There's a real sense of energy in the way he moves across the page. See that "W.W." at the bottom? It’s almost like a signature but feels more like an extension of the letter, a final flourish. Witsen's letter reminds me of Cy Twombly's scribbled paintings, where the act of writing becomes a kind of drawing. Both artists embrace the messy, imperfect, and deeply human quality of mark-making. Art isn't about perfection; it's about capturing a moment, a feeling, a thought in all its messy glory.