Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1904 - 1906

This letter was written in Paris in 1904 by Lionel de la Laurencie. The handwriting curls and swoops across the page, looping around the ideas of the sender. The letter is an object in itself, a site of inquiry for the person who receives it, and for us as viewers. What was it like for Lionel to write this letter? Dipping the pen in ink, the scratch of the nib on paper...you can almost hear it! He’s corresponding with someone, sharing thoughts and ideas. Maybe he had a question and felt unsure how to ask it. There’s a real physicality to writing, the movement of the hand, the pressure applied to the page. It reminds me that artists, like writers, are in an ongoing conversation, exchanging ideas across time. Each mark communicates feeling, intention, and meaning. It is this embodied expression that makes handwriting such a powerful means of communication. Each letter shaped with precision and care. It reminds us that painting, like writing, embraces ambiguity.