Brief aan Mien Cambier van Nooten 1912 - 1940

Curator: This script! So full of swishes and dark slashes... It’s like peeking into someone's mind. Editor: This is "Brief aan Mien Cambier van Nooten" by Dick Ket, dating from 1912 to 1940, made with pen and ink on paper, and is held at the Rijksmuseum. The first thing I notice is how intimate and almost frantic the handwriting seems. What do you see in this work? Curator: Well, isn’t it glorious? For me, it speaks of untold stories, whispered secrets… a frenetic energy captured in ink. Look closely – notice how the strokes vary in pressure, like emotions fluctuating. Is it a letter, or a confession? Perhaps it's both? Editor: That’s interesting. I was focusing on the busyness, almost overwhelming quality, of the script, but the idea of captured emotions makes me see it differently. Does the form – the calligraphy itself – play a role in conveying that emotion? Curator: Absolutely! The *way* it’s written becomes as important as *what* is written. The lines dance and quiver, creating a visual rhythm that reflects the inner state of the artist. Notice the parts that are darker, more frantic. Where do your eyes linger? Editor: Mostly around the top right corner and then snaking downwards through the page, as there are sections of darker ink used. Curator: Almost as if a bird flew in an uncontrolled dance across the paper with an ink-laden foot? Now, what kind of bird could leave such a track? Editor: I like that! So, beyond the practical function of conveying information, the script itself becomes a form of expressive art. I hadn't considered that so directly before. Curator: Indeed! It reminds us that even in the most mundane of things – a simple letter – art can blossom unexpectedly. Don’t you think? Editor: Absolutely. This definitely gives me a new appreciation for the power of handwriting as a form of artistic expression.