Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1900 - 1928

Here is an audio guide for the piece. Jan Toorop wrote this letter to Philip Zilcken in 1900, and it’s essentially an artwork made with ink on paper. Look at the way the lines of text are formed, almost like they're dancing across the page, each word a little gesture, a little brushstroke. I’m struck by the texture, the contrast between the smooth paper and the slightly uneven, scratchy quality of the ink. You can almost feel the pressure of the pen on the page. The way the words cluster and spread, it reminds me that writing, like painting, is a physical act. Each mark carries energy, intention. Look at the flourish of the signature, that final sweep of the pen. It's like a painter adding a final, decisive stroke. Thinking about another artist, someone like Cy Twombly comes to mind, who blurred the line between writing and drawing. But ultimately, it's a letter! Full of its own ambiguities.