Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1906

This letter to Jan Veth, was written by Cornelis Gerardus 't Hooft in 1906. Look at the way the nib of the pen moves across the paper, like a skater on ice. The pressure and release, the varying thickness of the line as it loops and swirls. Imagine the focus it took to keep each letter distinct, and to maintain consistency. I feel a connection with this artist who is so skilled with his hands. As a painter, my own gestures are looser, less controlled, but the intention is the same – to communicate through the physical act of mark-making. I wonder what 't Hooft was thinking as he wrote, each word a careful construction. The materiality of the ink, its darkness against the white ground, creates a rhythm across the surface. He has something he wants to convey. It reminds me that artists, no matter their medium, are always in dialogue. Every stroke, every word, is a response to what came before, a contribution to the ongoing conversation of art.