Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1922 - 1926

Here is a letter written in ink on paper by Rose Imel. It's dated June 23, 1922, and addressed "Tres Cher Ami" - very dear friend. I can imagine Imel sitting at her desk, the nib of her pen scratching across the page. I wonder what the urgency of this letter was? The ink is dark and consistent, applied with a steady hand, each word carefully formed, almost like a drawing. The lines flow with a rhythmic quality, creating a dense and textured surface of language. It reminds me of Cy Twombly’s handwriting, how the script becomes an abstract form. Imel's letter, so personal, shows how the very act of writing can be an art, a form of expression as intimate as a painting. Thinking about the work of other artists, about the history of mark making, I feel a connection to Imel across time. We are all in this conversation together, inspired by one another. Even a letter can be a work of art.