Brief aan onbekend, mogelijk August Allebé 1865 - 1930

Curator: Here we have "Brief aan onbekend, mogelijk August Allebé" or "Letter to an unknown, possibly August Allebé" by Jac van Looij, made sometime between 1865 and 1930. It’s a mixed-media drawing, using ink and pen on paper. I find myself drawn to the density of the script. What strikes you when you first look at it? Editor: It feels incredibly intimate, almost like intruding on a private conversation. It's densely written, with words crammed into every available space. It's fascinating. What do you see in this piece, focusing on its formal qualities? Curator: From a formalist perspective, the drawing captivates through its intense, all-over composition. Van Looij’s handwriting creates a texture, almost like a woven surface. The use of black ink against the pale paper generates strong contrast, emphasizing the graphic quality of the text. Editor: So, you’re saying the focus is on the visual impact of the letter itself, rather than the content. But can we really ignore that content? Does formalism allow us to engage with the meaning behind those words? Curator: A strict formalist approach brackets out extra-textual considerations. We observe how the arrangement of text creates patterns and rhythms, how the direction of the lines creates implied movement, how corrections and additions add complexity to the surface. Meaning isn’t absent, but approached through its manifestation in the formal elements. Does this emphasis change your initial perception? Editor: It does! It shifts my focus from the emotional to a more analytical level. Now I’m thinking about the artist’s deliberate mark-making and control, how each stroke contributes to the overall aesthetic. Curator: Precisely. We see a tightly controlled energy expressed within a rigid structure. Editor: I see it now – it’s less about the secret message and more about the art of writing. I’ve definitely learned to see how to explore artwork beyond obvious topics. Curator: Exactly, I feel it is all about deconstructing the very essence of visual form, how writing is viewed and the texture is added to a canvas, thus transforming this piece beyond it medium to be simply the message itself, as most see it.