Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1901 - 1906

This is a letter, Brief aan Jan Veth, written and drawn by Max Liebermann in 1901, probably using pen and ink. Look how the dense, inky strokes give the impression of a field of grass, the scratchy handwriting, a kind of raw, unfiltered mark making. It reminds me that artmaking is a process. What I see in the letter is a physicality. There's a weight and presence to the written mark. The dark ink creates a bold contrast against the paper, making the words almost leap off the page. The handwritten marks are the very thing which makes it so intimate; you can feel Liebermann's hand moving across the page. Look at the loops and swirls of the letters, each one slightly different from the last. Each stroke is a dance of spontaneity and control, a testament to the artist's commitment to the present moment. It reminds me of the letters Vincent van Gogh wrote to his brother, Theo. Both van Gogh and Liebermann used the written word to make visible their internal worlds. It all boils down to this: Art is about embracing ambiguity.