Aantekening uit collectie August Allebé 1915

This 'Note from the August Allebé Collection' at the Rijksmuseum, well, it’s not strictly a painting, but it's about painting, made by an artist, so it counts in my book! The handwriting is loose, kind of a furious scribble, with lots of cross-outs, so you get a real sense of Allebé thinking on the page, processing thoughts as he moves across it. The surface of the note is mottled and textured, like a well-worn studio rag, but this is just the paper. Mostly it’s the physical act of inscription that brings it to life, the pressure of the pen creating a kind of bas-relief. Look at how some lines are thin and tentative, while others are bold and assertive. It's like he’s wrestling with the words, trying to pin them down. I love the way he cancels some passages but leaves them legible, as if to say, "I changed my mind, but this thought still matters." Thinking of Allebé’s writing, I'm reminded of Cy Twombly’s mark-making. Both artists share a love of gesture and improvisation. For me it opens up a space of imagination around the artwork.