Brief aan Andries Bonger Possibly 1928

Maurice Fromkes wrote this letter to Andries Bonger in August 1928, from Tarrytown-on-the-Hudson, New York. You can see the energy of his writing in the looping script, and dark ink. It almost trembles with a sense of urgency as if Fromkes couldn't wait to share his news. I feel like I'm peering over his shoulder as he dips his pen into the inkwell and rushes to tell Mr Bonger about his trip to New York and a recommendation for a friend, a noted art critic. There's so much excitement in the words, that they seem to jump off the page. He can barely contain himself, right? The script varies in weight, thickness and pressure; the ‘y’ in ‘My dear Mr. Bouger’ extends as far as the next line, almost like it is trying to claim the space for itself. This piece reminds me of Cy Twombly's scribbled paintings or even some of Basquiat’s text-based works. It’s as if I can see a whole world hidden in the words. Even though Fromkes worked in a different style, you can see how artists influence and inspire each other across time, don’t you think?