Briefkaart aan Willem Bogtman Possibly 1934 - 1937

This is "Briefkaart aan Willem Bogtman", a postcard by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst. The handwriting sprawls across the card like an unleashed thought, dark ink dancing in cursive loops. I can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the surface, each stroke a deliberate yet spontaneous gesture, the words leaning into each other. What was he thinking as he penned these lines? Was it a moment of reflection, a burst of creative energy, or a simple act of connection? I’m really struck by the contrast between the formal structure of the postcard and the intimate nature of the handwritten message. It reminds me of the way artists often use constraints to unleash their creativity, pushing against boundaries to find new forms of expression. It’s like Roland Holst is saying, "Here I am, in this small space, trying to communicate something meaningful." It’s a conversation across time, with him, with us, and with all the other artists who have ever tried to capture a thought or feeling on a surface. And you wonder at the life of the postcard, the journey it takes to get somewhere and deliver its message.