Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1906 - 1909

Curator: Here we have a pen and ink drawing on paper. It's entitled "Brief aan Jan Veth," and we believe it was made sometime between 1906 and 1909 by Wally Moes. It showcases beautiful, fluid calligraphy. Editor: It strikes me as intimate, doesn't it? Just a glimpse into a personal connection. The tight crop forces a kind of immediacy—we’re eavesdropping, almost. Curator: The act of handwriting is itself an intimate form of communication. The curves and lines, the pressure applied to the pen… it all speaks to the emotion behind the message. Calligraphy elevates this intimacy into art. It makes us consider how writing as a symbol holds weight, as art object and cultural artifact. Editor: Exactly. And it invites so many questions: Who was Jan Veth? What was their relationship to Moes? Was it a political, intellectual, or simply personal connection? And how did class, gender, or social standing influence their exchange? It invites a decoding beyond simply reading the words, I feel. Curator: Yes! The letter seems to convey congratulations on some recent recognition. The line that stands out most to me says, “…decorated and honored with the doctor's hat!” We can understand it on a symbolic level. This "doctor's hat" could be a metaphor for intellect and elevated social status in turn. It can reveal both reverence for traditional notions of scholarship, while we might question its cultural exclusivity now. Editor: The cultural exclusivity of "high" art and education during that period, exactly! Consider the limited opportunities afforded to women artists, for instance. To see Moes congratulating Veth, a possibly more recognized peer, adds layers of understanding around her own artistic aspirations, social standing, and challenges within her historical moment. Curator: These symbols reveal what we as an audience recognize to understand and accept power. How, by writing, painting, making—artists of their time reinforced those power structures or found ways around them to subvert such constructs. Editor: It's a quiet but powerful object, isn't it? A small window into a complex network of relationships, artistic ambition, and the cultural currents of its time. Curator: A reminder that every inscription—no matter how simple—can carry a wealth of social and personal symbolism.