Brief aan Jan Veth 1875 - 1925

This letter was penned by Isaac Israels to Jan Veth, probably on a Sunday in June, 1899. It’s formed with ink on paper, humble materials that were nonetheless the lifeblood of intellectual exchange at the time. What I find particularly compelling about this work is the way the writing seems to embody the artist’s thought processes. The sweeping lines, the hurried pace of the script, even the blots and corrections, offer a direct connection to Israels’s state of mind as he composed the message. The act of handwriting itself was a skilled practice, the result of years of training and refinement. In that era, handwriting conveyed social status, personal character, and aesthetic sensibility. Yet, this letter shows that penmanship could also be a vehicle for raw, unfiltered expression. It really makes you think about how we might judge the value and authenticity of different forms of work. Is a quickly jotted note any less valid than a carefully crafted painting? Perhaps the most profound art lies in the immediacy of human connection.