Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken

This postcard was written by Isaac Israels sometime in the late 19th Century, probably using a fountain pen and ink. The text is all hand-written, complete with smudges and imperfections. It’s so immediate; you can really imagine Israels in the moment, dashing this off to a friend. Look closely, and you can see how the ink pools in certain areas, creating darker, more intense blacks against the faded, softer grays. The letters themselves almost seem to dance across the surface, some leaning back, others pressing forward. There's a real looseness to the script that feels very personal and spontaneous. Note the capital letters which almost have a flourish, and the way he underlines certain words for emphasis. It’s these details that give the card such a strong sense of character. The work of Cy Twombly comes to mind, with his own painterly approach to handwriting. Both artists share a delight in gesture, embracing ambiguity and chance as essential elements of their work.