Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1903 - 1924

This is Pieter Lodewijk Tak’s letter to Jan Veth, written in Amsterdam on May 24, 1903. The artist is working with ink on paper here. There’s a real energy to Tak’s handwriting. Look at the way the loops and tails of the letters dance across the page. See how some words are almost dashed off, with lines blurring together, while others are carefully formed. It feels like a real insight into the artist’s mind, like we’re seeing his thoughts flow directly onto the page. I am reminded of Cy Twombly’s scrawling marks, how gestural actions can record the traces of a lived moment. And think about the intimacy of a handwritten letter. It's so personal and direct, like a one-on-one conversation. You can sense the artist’s presence in every stroke. In our digital age of emails and texts, there's something really special about seeing this kind of direct, tangible communication. It’s a reminder of the human connection at the heart of art.