Brief aan jonkheer Hendrik Teding van Berkhout (1879-1969) Possibly 1931

This letter was composed by Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita on December 23rd to Jonkheer Hendrik Teding van Berkhout. It’s a page filled with handwriting that loops and rushes, a real dance of language! I can almost feel the pen in Mesquita's hand, see him pausing, thinking, then the ink flowing as he puts thought to paper. The lines are dark, full of energy, the handwriting precise, yet lively. Look closely, and you can see the ghost of edits and second thoughts. It’s more than just information; it’s a record of a mind at work. Mesquita was a printmaker, and I wonder, as he wrote this, if he saw the words as lines in an etching, each stroke carving out meaning. His work often features strong contrasts and graphic elements. This page is a whole world of mark-making that makes me want to get into the studio and start painting. We artists are all in conversation, across time, inspiring each other. Painting, like writing, is a way to embrace uncertainty. Every gesture is open to interpretation.