Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1911 - 1916

Jenny Kamerlingh Onnes wrote this letter to Philip Zilcken in Leiden, on June 5, using ink on paper. It’s such a simple, direct thing, handwriting; the line just flows out of you, from the brain down through the arm and into the nib, leaving a trace of your thoughts on the page. The controlled, almost calligraphic, script makes me think about process. Each loop and curve so elegant and considered. I’m struck by the intimacy of the physical process, each word carefully wrought, the letter a tangible artefact of a specific moment. I love the texture of the paper, you can almost feel the slight resistance of the nib against the surface. The ink isn’t black but a softer grey, which gives a lightness and sense of history, making me wonder what kind of pen she used? It reminds me a little of the letters of Agnes Martin - direct and unfussy. It's a form of art in itself. It shows that art is an ongoing conversation, that the exchange of ideas across time is important. It is not about fixed meanings, but embracing the ambiguity.