Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1901 - 1920

Henriëtte Holst-Hendrix's "Brief aan Philip Zilcken" from 1901, feels like a painting made with ink on paper. The cursive script cascades down the page like paint, each stroke a deliberate gesture. I imagine Holst-Hendrix, pen in hand, carefully forming each letter, weighing her words and their impact. There's a rhythm, a flow, to the writing that mirrors the artist's creative process. The materiality of the ink, the way it bleeds and settles into the paper, adds depth and texture to the composition. The letter becomes a site of inquiry, a space where thoughts and ideas take shape through the act of writing. Like the Abstract Expressionists I admire, Holst-Hendrix embraces spontaneity and intuition, allowing her thoughts to guide her hand. You can sense an energy in the downstrokes. It makes me think of Cy Twombly's scribbled paintings. The letter reminds us that artists are always in conversation. It's an invitation to embrace ambiguity and uncertainty. Each reading reveals new layers of meaning and interpretation.