Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1907 - 1923

This "Brief aan Philip Zilcken" by W.J.G. van Meurs is a letter, and while it's not exactly paint on canvas, the script itself becomes a kind of mark-making. Each stroke of the pen carries a little bit of the artist's hand, don't you think? Look at the looping ascenders and descenders of the letters. They create a rhythm, a dance across the page. The ink varies in darkness, and pools to create a texture which is interesting in itself. It reminds me of Cy Twombly's scribbled paintings, where language and gesture blur. Van Meurs is communicating, but he's also creating a visual field. It's like he's thinking with his hand. Each line and curve is a record of the speed of the pen on the page. This letter becomes more than just words; it's a trace of the artist's presence, a little piece of his mind made visible, and just like a painting, this offers endless interpretation.