Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken before 1914

This postcard to Philip Zilcken was composed with ink, sometime around 1904. Look at the loops and curves in the handwriting, it’s almost like drawing, isn’t it? You can see the artist’s hand in the way the ink flows and pools, creating darker areas where the pen lingered a bit longer. It's a direct line from thought to paper, a kind of performance. I’m drawn to the way the handwriting overlaps with the printed lines and stamps. The controlled, straight lines of the printed text contrast with the free-flowing, expressive quality of the handwriting. It's a reminder that art doesn't exist in a vacuum; it's always in conversation with the world around it. Each stroke, each letter, becomes a small, intimate gesture, a record of a specific moment in time. I’m reminded of Cy Twombly's scribbled paintings, where writing becomes a form of abstract expression. Like Twombly, Teixeira de Mattos seems to embrace the imperfect, the messy, the human touch. It’s a beautiful reminder that art is not about perfection, but about connection.