Brief aan Etha Fles Possibly 1889

Curator: Well, here we have "Brief aan Etha Fles," a letter, possibly from 1889, by Jan Veth, rendered in ink on paper. What jumps out at you? Editor: It feels… intimate. Like I’m peering over someone’s shoulder reading their private thoughts. The calligraphy, while elegant, is also very personal. It's cool how the museum holds onto something like this. What do you think about the medium of expression? Curator: I’m struck by the contrast. The formality of a handwritten letter—presumably a thoughtful correspondence—juxtaposed with the quickness and immediacy of a sketch. There’s a certain urgency, isn't there? Veth's handwriting becomes another form of mark making. And consider: what does a letter offer us that, say, a finished painting couldn't? Editor: An unfiltered glimpse, maybe? A raw connection to the artist's mind? I mean there aren’t sketches so it may be final copy of the written form to the addressee. Curator: Exactly. And notice how the lines vary in weight and pressure. The controlled loops give way to hurried strokes. You almost sense Veth’s mood shifting as he wrote, maybe even see his pen hesitating. What secrets do you imagine this letter holds? Or doesn't? Editor: Wow. It sounds more like art expression if it holds not any information that is vital. Is it? That's such an interesting way to look at something so seemingly simple, more than just text. Curator: Precisely, perhaps a mix of both. Editor: Definitely a lot to unpack from what initially seemed like just an old letter.