Brief aan Philip Zilcken before 1892

This is a letter, written by Matthijs Maris to Philip Zilcken. It gives us an insight into the painter’s thoughts, delivered through the simple technology of pen on paper. Maris was part of the Hague School, a group of Dutch artists who reacted against academic painting, preferring a more naturalistic approach. Yet Maris was always something of an outsider, and that is clear in this candid note. Think about the directness of handwriting, how it conveys personality. Each stroke of ink is a gesture, a sign of the maker’s hand. In a society rapidly industrializing, this kind of personal expression was becoming ever more precious. Notice how Maris’s handwriting has a hurried quality, as if he’s capturing a fleeting thought. The letter gives us the sense that he’s not only communicating information but also doing so with an authentic voice. This kind of honest exchange became crucial to the Arts and Crafts movement. The movement rejected mass production, championing the value of individual skill and creative labor.