Brief aan Philip Zilcken before 1906

This is a letter, 'Brief aan Philip Zilcken', by Léonce Bénédite. It's an artwork because the gestures of its marks are more than just language, they're alive, like a drawing. The ink is thick, pooling in places like dark water. See how the words lean and dance, some almost falling off the page? The letters bump into each other, a bit awkward, but intimate, like a crowded party. It reminds me of Cy Twombly's scrawls, but with more intention to be read, more effort to communicate. Look at the 'J' in 'Je serai', it's like a little flag waving, announcing the start of a thought. The whole letter is a performance, a delicate balance between control and letting go. Like a dance between friends. It shows how we can find expression and connection through the simplest of means.