Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1912 - 1917

This letter, written in 1892 by Willem Witsen to Jan Veth, is a flurry of dark ink across a pale surface. It's a glimpse into a conversation, a moment caught mid-thought, and it reminds me that artmaking is often just a conversation with yourself, or a friend. The strokes vary. Some are fine and precise, others thick and urgent. I’m drawn to the way the text drifts off to the bottom right, a material reminder of the act of writing. The ink sits on the paper like it’s barely clinging on, a surface tension ready to break. You can almost feel the scratch of the nib against the page, the writer’s hand in motion. These textures create a kind of intimacy, like you’re peering over the artist’s shoulder. Witsen reminds me a bit of Whistler, with their shared interest in capturing fleeting moments and personal connections, both of them understanding art as a deeply human exchange. And that’s what makes art so exciting: the endless possibilities for connection, the way it invites us into a space of shared experience and interpretation.