Brief aan Ina van Eibergen Santhagens-Waller 1878 - 1938

This is a letter made with ink on paper, written in 1935 by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst. The gray ink sits on the page in very thin lines, as if the words were carefully drawn, revealing a process rooted in thoughtful penmanship. What strikes me is how the act of writing, much like painting, is so physical, so embodied. You can feel the rhythm of the hand, the pressure of the pen creating this incredibly intimate texture. Notice how the letters crowd together, almost as if they're sharing a secret. The way the text is arranged on the page is like a composition, the sentences forming shapes and blocks, and the overall effect is quite beautiful. This attention to detail, to the very act of creation, reminds me of the work of Cy Twombly, another artist who elevated the act of writing to the level of art. Like Twombly, Holst embraces the ambiguity, hinting at the deeper meanings that lie just beyond the surface.