Brief aan jonkheer Hendrik Teding van Berkhout (1879-1969) Possibly 1932 - 1939

Jo Bezaan wrote this letter to jonkheer Hendrik Teding van Berkhout sometime in 1932. The ink is old and faded, but the marks retain the movement of Bezaan's hand. I imagine Jo Bezaan in his office, pausing between official tasks to dash off this note. What does the director of the Rijksprentenkabinet want? The handwriting is precise but personal. Look at the flourish under the signature, almost like a painter's brushstroke, adding a little bit of character. This scrap of paper is so mundane and yet it is so human. It reminds me of how painting is a form of embodied expression, a way of working through ideas and emotions. Every mark carries intention, yet the process embraces uncertainty, allowing space for multiple interpretations. Bezaan's letter is both a simple communication and a record of a moment in time.