Brief aan jonkheer Hendrik Teding van Berkhout (1879-1969) Possibly 1932 - 1939

This is an envelope, addressed in 1930 by Frederika Henriëtte Broeksmit, most likely using a pen and some kind of grey or black ink. What interests me is how handwriting makes visible our internal states. Every flourish and angle, every blot and pause, reveals something about the writer's temperament, mood, and intention. Look at the way the ink varies in darkness and thickness, a direct trace of pressure, speed, and the ink flow. I wonder, can you feel the deliberate slant of the script, the way words lean forward, as if eager to reach their destination? Notice the subtle imperfections, the slight tremors and inconsistencies in the lines. It's like looking at an x-ray of the artist’s mind in a moment of creation. Broeksmit’s work reminds me a little of Cy Twombly’s, both artists imbue simple marks with profound meaning. Both artists take the simple act of inscription and elevate it to high art. In the end, art, like handwriting, is a conversation—a way of reaching out, of leaving a trace, and of connecting with others across time and space.