Brief aan Jan Ponstijn en Henriëtte Johanna Petronella van Hilten Possibly 1939

This letter was written by Leo Gestel in 1939 using pen and ink. Imagine him sitting at his desk, the nib scratching across the page, each word carefully formed, yet flowing with emotion. I wonder what Jan Ponstijn and Henriëtte Johanna Petronella van Hilten meant to Gestel. The words seem intimate, a mix of affection and philosophical musings. You can sense a yearning for connection amidst a world on the brink of war. The handwriting itself—the loops, the slants—reveals a sense of urgency, a need to communicate deeply. Think of other artists who have used letters as a form of expression: Van Gogh's passionate letters to Theo, Frida Kahlo's intimate notes to Diego. Artists throughout time have engaged in this exchange of ideas and feelings. This letter isn’t just ink on paper; it’s a piece of Gestel's soul reaching out.