Brief aan August Allebé Possibly 1907

This letter was written in 1907 by Jérôme Alexander Sillem to August Allebé. Look at the script, the density and texture of these old-fashioned handwritten words. What’s the weight of that pen? Is it scratchy? Smooth? I can imagine Sillem, pen in hand, carefully crafting each word, each stroke a deliberate act of communication. Was he frustrated by the lack of precision? Did he take pleasure in the imperfections, the slight variations in line and tone? I bet the controlled pressure of the ink on paper allowed him to work through something that words alone couldn’t express. The controlled marks of this handwritten letter remind me of the formal letters that Van Gogh wrote to his brother, and all of the letters and conversations between artists and other artists: the ongoing exchange of ideas that fuels creativity. We need those conversations. Thank goodness Sillem wrote to Allebé.