Brief aan Philip Zilcken before 1918

Fernand Khnopff wrote this letter to Philip Zilcken in pencil, and I like to imagine him doing so in haste, on whatever surface was available. Maybe it was a park bench, or his knee. It’s interesting to see a painter’s handwriting. Note how the urgency of the message translates through the marks on the page. It feels as though the words have spilled out of him. I sense real desperation in his looped script. He is trying to get something done! He needs Zilcken to obtain some photos and secure permission to reproduce paintings by Thérèse Schwartze and others. The ‘material’ here is the paper, the pencil, and the hand, which combine to create something that stands in for the voice and the body. The pressure of his hand, the speed of the writing, and the forward slant all speak of the artist's intensity and intent. It’s a reminder of how all art, even writing, is made through our bodies. This letter gives insight into the often-invisible relationships that sustain the art world. Networks of exchange, support, and inspiration are so vital, aren’t they?