Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1918

This is a letter by C.J. de Vries to Philip Zilcken written in 1918, and it’s really a study in controlled marks. Look at that blue-black ink, almost like paint, forming these precise lines of text. The texture of the paper seems smooth, and the ink sits right on top, creating a slight relief. The letters are so deliberate, each stroke carefully placed, and there’s something very satisfying about that kind of restraint. Then you get to the signature. The script is where de Vries lets loose. It’s so fluid and confident, a real contrast to the formality of the typed text. It’s like a little burst of energy, and those lines almost seem to dance across the page. Thinking about other artists that embraced that sense of freedom with ink, I’m reminded of Cy Twombly. Of course, this is a letter, not art, but the expressive power of those handwritten marks—it’s something that transcends medium.