Brief aan de heer van Herpen Possibly 1922 - 1928

Editor: Here we have "Brief aan de heer van Herpen" – a letter to Mr. van Herpen – by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst, made possibly between 1922 and 1928. It's ink on paper, a drawing in essence, and I am immediately struck by how intimate this artwork feels, like a secret glimpse into the artist’s correspondence. What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: As a historian, I see this letter as more than just a personal message. Holst was deeply embedded in the social and artistic circles of his time. How might this communication reveal the intellectual and cultural currents that shaped his artistic production? Consider the recipient, "de heer van Herpen". Who was he and what role did he play in Holst’s world? These exchanges weren't just personal; they often played a role in shaping artistic and intellectual discourses. Editor: That's fascinating. It shifts my perspective from the personal to the social aspect of it. I was only thinking about the visual aspects; the slightly frantic calligraphy also creates a sense of urgency. Could the urgency itself be a kind of performance or perhaps relate to his social role at the time? Curator: Precisely! And the very act of creating this letter as an object worthy of display later, also points to Holst’s awareness of his own legacy. So it becomes an interesting intersection of a private correspondence with a public persona, typical of artists who are aware of their influence and place in art history. Who gets remembered and how? That is always worth keeping in mind. Editor: It is! I went from just reading this as a note to thinking of it as a complex statement about the artist’s role. It's amazing how much history and cultural context can change your perspective on something as simple as a handwritten letter.