Brief aan Willem Bogtman Possibly 1924 - 1929

This letter, composed by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst around 1924, is a fascinating artifact. Just look at the way Holst’s handwriting seems to dance across the page—the looping ascenders and descenders, the idiosyncratic letterforms, and the overall rhythm of the script. I can imagine Holst sitting down with his pen and paper, perhaps in a moment of quiet contemplation, his thoughts flowing freely as he writes to Willem Bogtman. What were they discussing? What was on their minds? Each stroke of the pen seems to carry a trace of his personality, his thoughts, and his emotions. The texture of the paper, the ink, the way the light catches on the surface—all of these material qualities contribute to the sensory experience of engaging with the letter. Holst’s lines remind me a little of Cy Twombly, who also made an art out of handwriting. Ultimately, this letter shows how artists are always in conversation, building on each other's ideas, and pushing the boundaries of what art can be.