Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1918

This letter to Philip Zilcken, was written by Fenna de Meyier in 1918, with what looks like blue ink on paper. The script has an open, loopy quality. The way she forms her ‘z’s and ‘k’s, with these swooping curves, makes me think of twigs or vines. As if the words are trying to grow and flourish on the page, not just communicate. The ink is applied with an even pressure, each letter a smooth, considered stroke. Yet, there’s a slight tremble, maybe a little nervousness in the way the lines waiver. It makes you wonder about the person behind the hand, the thoughts and feelings that guided the pen. It reminds me of Cy Twombly, but somehow more intimate. It’s like glimpsing someone’s inner thoughts as they unravel. It shows how the simple act of writing can be a delicate dance between intention and chance.