Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1905 - 1919

Here is a letter written in 1905 by Willem Witsen, likely with a fountain pen and ink. Just imagine Witsen, sitting down with his pen, the nib scratching across the paper. The act of writing itself becomes a kind of performance, each stroke imbued with intention and feeling. Look at the looping, rhythmic quality of the handwriting, almost like a dance across the page. The darker, thicker lines suggest moments of emphasis or perhaps a pause for thought. It's a very intimate piece; you can imagine Witsen mulling over each word, trying to convey his thoughts and emotions to Jan Veth. I wonder what he was thinking as he wrote, what was happening in his life at that moment? There’s an urgency here, an attempt to communicate something important. And what about the recipient? What was their relationship like? Artists are always in conversation with one another, across time and space. Painting, writing - it's all about trying to make sense of the world, one gesture at a time.