Brief aan Jan Veth 1878 - 1925

This is a letter dashed off by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst to Jan Veth on January 30th, 1893. Look at that script! It’s like a drawing in itself. I can see the quick flicks of the wrist, the loops and dives of the pen across the page. You can imagine him there, pen in hand, maybe in a rush, or deep in thought, each word spilling out with its own rhythm and energy. I wonder what he was thinking about as he wrote? Maybe he was mulling over a recent Van Gogh exhibition – his words hinting at excitement and reflection, perhaps even a bit of gossip. You can feel the energy of the art world at the time. And that’s what painting, and even writing, is all about, right? It’s about capturing a moment, a feeling, a thought, and then sending it out into the world. It’s like Holst is having a conversation with Veth, and with us, across time. It’s all one big, messy, beautiful conversation, influencing each other, pushing each other, and sparking new ideas.