Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1905

This letter, “Brief aan Jan Veth” was written in 1905 by André Jolles, with ink on paper. The controlled and neat script makes me think about writing as a real process; the deliberate placement of each word across the page, with space for reflection and consideration. Look at the way the letters loop and flow, like a dance across the page. The ink varies in tone, showing the pressure applied to the pen. Each mark conveys a sense of care and attention, almost like a painter layering brushstrokes. The letter format provides a structure and rhythm that is not dissimilar to the formal devices used in painting. Artists like Cy Twombly, for instance, explored the boundary between writing and drawing, where the gesture of mark-making becomes a form of expression in itself. This piece invites us to consider the humble letter as a site of artistic expression, and the act of writing as a creative endeavor. It shows how everyday communication can become an art form.