Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1903 - 1920

This is "Brief aan Philip Zilcken", made with ink on paper by Joseph Mendes da Costa in 1903. The lines here are so assured, even though the ink sometimes pools and spatters, the writing is very certain. The sepia ink color creates a warmth that softens the formality of the lettering. I love the way the letter’s contents are obscured just enough to make you lean in, trying to decipher it. The paper is creased and worn, especially towards the bottom, where another scrap has been glued. These material qualities remind us that art is an object with a history, susceptible to time, use, and chance. Look at the flourishes in the signature, the way the letters loop and intertwine, showing a freedom of hand and a kind of expressive confidence. You see a similar treatment of line in the work of Cy Twombly, where handwriting becomes a form of abstract mark-making, opening up a space of ambiguity and poetic association. It is a reminder that art is a conversation across time.