Brief aan Philip Zilcken 1917 - 1918

This letter, 'Brief aan Philip Zilcken', was written in August 1917 by A. Th. van Soest. You know, sometimes a document, a piece of everyday communication, can be as revealing as the grandest painting. What strikes me here is the precision of the language, the careful layout of the text, with its justified margins. It’s like a study in form, how the shapes of the letters create a visual rhythm. Look at the word "VERTROUWELIJK." It's bold, it's confident, it declares the content of the letter. The text asks for contributions for Philip Windt's 70th birthday celebration. And the materiality is interesting too: paper, ink, the impression of the typewriter on the page. Each element contributes to the overall effect, like strokes in a painting. Think of the Dutch Masters. The way they gave the mundane such gravitas and presence. It reminds me that art is everywhere, we just need to look at it.