Brief aan Philip Zilcken before 1929

This letter to Philip Zilcken was made by Léon Paschal sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century, probably with a dip pen and ink. What strikes me is the rhythm in the handwriting. The curves and flicks of the pen create a texture that’s almost musical, like notes on a page. Look at the way Paschal forms his letters. They lean and loop, full of personality. The ink varies in thickness, giving depth to each stroke. It’s interesting how the formal constraints of handwriting – the need for legibility – collide with the expressive impulse. There’s a tension between conveying information and simply enjoying the act of making marks, not unlike a Cy Twombly painting. Notice the flourish of the signature, how it seems to both conclude the letter and launch it into another realm. Art, like a handwritten letter, is an intimate exchange. We’re invited to read between the lines and to find our own meaning in the gestures of the artist.