Brief aan Marisa Quanjer Possibly 1938

This letter to Marisa Quanjer was written in 1938 by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst, and it feels like a drawing as much as a piece of writing. The way the ink confidently flows across the page reminds me that artmaking is a process of thinking through doing. Looking at the texture, the way the ink sits slightly raised on the paper, you can almost feel the pressure of the pen in the artist's hand. See how the loops of the letters create a rhythm, a kind of dance across the surface? Each word is a gesture, a mark imbued with intention and emotion. It’s easy to imagine him pausing, perhaps mid-sentence, lost in thought before continuing. This piece reminds me of Cy Twombly, not just in the scribbled handwriting, but in the sense of intimacy and personal connection. Like Twombly, Roland Holst invites us into his world, sharing a moment of reflection and communication. Art is just this, an ongoing conversation, and an embracing of ambiguity.