Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1900 - 1917

This is a letter to Philip Zilcken by Frans Erens, written in pen and ink at Sluis on February 17th. It's a glimpse into the art of correspondence, where the hand dances across the page with a unique rhythm. Look at the pressure and release of the ink as Erens forms each letter; some are thick and bold, others thin and fleeting, like a whispered thought. The slant of the script gives the words a sense of movement, as if they're eager to be read. Notice how some letters connect, flowing seamlessly into one another, while others stand apart, distinct and individual. The ink itself, once a deep, rich black, has faded with time, taking on a softer, warmer tone. I'm reminded of Cy Twombly's scribbled drawings, and how, like this letter, his paintings invite us to slow down and savor the process of mark-making. Art, after all, is an ongoing conversation, a dialogue between artist, material, and viewer that embraces ambiguity and resists fixed interpretations.