Brief aan Anna Dorothe Dirks en Jan Veth 1920 - 1925

Curator: Here we have a letter, “Brief aan Anna Dorothe Dirks en Jan Veth,” dating from around 1920 to 1925 by Isaac Israels. It's currently housed in the Rijksmuseum collection. He created it using ink on paper. Editor: It feels incredibly immediate. There's such energy to the handwriting; the words dance across the page like thoughts tumbling out. Almost frantic, actually, like he’s struggling to keep up. Curator: Absolutely. Israels’ style here is intimate, personal. One imagines him scribbling this in a cafe or hotel room—perhaps jotting down ideas, impressions, or anxieties of the time. And it being addressed to two people certainly invites our curiosity about the purpose and what might be shared with an artist's intimates. Editor: Well, thinking about the physical aspects – the ink itself, the weight of the paper—it’s a direct link to the artist’s hand, to his time and effort. I see the evidence of labour: the scratching out and overwriting which speak volumes about both intent and perhaps also of second-thoughts on the construction of ideas themselves. Curator: Yes, one really gets a strong feeling of a world-historical moment—of tremendous activity between the lines and shapes. To think of the sociopolitical forces possibly churning during the precise time this letter came to be adds a lot to the experience here. Editor: What I appreciate, thinking materially, is how accessible this artwork feels. It’s ink on paper, everyday materials elevated by Israels' attention and care. I appreciate work that doesn't get caught up in artifice or grandiose posturing. Curator: Indeed. It’s the seemingly simple act of creation—a personal missive dashed off—that can carry such profound emotional weight. To share that is meaningful and I suppose why this particular work resonates still. Editor: Exactly. Thinking about art making with everyday available means certainly changes my understanding. It all boils down to the artist’s vision. The choice of material defines the boundaries—so let's think outside the canvas.