Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1918

This undated handwritten letter by Jac van Looij is addressed to Jan Veth. The form is dominated by the materiality of the ink on paper, creating a direct, intimate communication across time. The script itself conveys a sense of urgency and personal connection. The structure of the letter, with its dense paragraphs and marginalia, reflects the stream of consciousness characteristic of personal correspondence. It suggests an informal, immediate dialogue between two individuals, rather than a carefully constructed formal statement. The letter challenges the traditional boundaries between private and public expression. The visual texture of the handwriting, with its loops and slants, acts as a kind of personal code, reflecting the nuances of the writer’s personality and emotional state. The letter thus destabilizes the idea of language as purely functional, imbuing it with an expressive, almost tactile quality. This piece invites us to consider how the very act of writing, with its inherent materiality and personal inflection, shapes meaning and constructs relationships.