Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1909 - 1924

This is a letter, written in Utrecht, October 24, 1909, and it's made with ink on paper. Just like a painting, the marks here are very direct, very immediate, very human. I am drawn to the way the words are laid out on the page, like a field of marks, each one a tiny gesture, pressing into the paper. The color is muted, the paper aged, but the impression is powerful. Look at the texture of the ink against the page, the slight variations in pressure. It’s not just information; it’s physical, it's felt. Notice how the letter describes a drawing ("taskening") made by the recipient, that the letter-writer's daughter wants to photograph. In a way, the letter *is* the photograph. This reminds me of the letters from Vincent to Theo Van Gogh, which describe paintings, but are works of art in themselves. Art is always a conversation, isn’t it? A give and take, a looking and responding, a kind of call and answer.