Brief aan Philip Zilcken before 1920

This is Fernand Khnopff’s letter to Philip Zilcken, probably written with ink on paper. The handwriting swoops and loops on the page; it’s a controlled yet intimate gesture. I wonder about the process of writing this letter, what Khnopff was thinking, what he wanted to communicate to Zilcken. Each stroke of the pen is a mark of intention, but also of feeling, a physical trace of thought made visible. There’s a connection here to the act of painting itself. The way a painter applies brushstrokes to canvas, building up layers of meaning, feels akin to Khnopff choosing each word, each curve and flourish. I am thinking of Cy Twombly here! This letter, like a painting, invites us into the artist’s world, a space of dialogue and exchange. Artists are always talking to each other, riffing on each other's ideas, and inspiring new forms of expression.