Aantekening uit collectie August Allebé 1915

This curious annotation by August Allebé, from an unknown date, but held at the Rijksmuseum, is all in monochrome inks, blacks and sepias. I'm imagining the artist writing quickly and furiously; a flurry of thought, feeling, and visual memory coalescing onto the page, shifting and emerging through trial and error. I sympathize with Allebé, thinking about what it might have been like, all those years ago. The material aspects of the page, the ink, and the nib, all shape how we experience it. The ink is thin, layered, and rushed, building an emotional resonance within the work. It is fascinating to see the crossing out of words and phrases; the second thoughts and the changing mind of the artist. This piece is reminiscent of Cy Twombly's scribbled drawings and annotations; the act of 'writing' is a form of embodied expression which embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations. Artists are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity.