Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1918 - 1919

Here is a letter, written in 1914 by Dr. van Leeuwen, and addressed to Philip Zilcken. I love that the penmanship looks like a drawing. Just imagine van Leeuwen, pen in hand, starting with an intention, but then letting the form of each letter determine the shape of the next. The ink varies from light to dark – like the artist paused, perhaps distracted by something outside the window, and then returned with a heavier hand. You can feel the rhythm and pace of the thoughts and feelings moving onto the page. The letters tilt and lean into each other. It reminds me of Cy Twombly’s scrawls. Both artists use the written word as a raw material, transforming language into an abstract form, somewhere between sense and non-sense. It's as if they’re in conversation, even though they come from such different contexts. That’s what I love about art. It’s an ongoing exchange across time, inspiring all kinds of creativity. What will it inspire in you?