Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1906 - 1924

This letter to Philip Zilcken was written by Jan Hillebrand Wijsmuller in 1905 using ink on paper. I'm thinking about the hand that wrote it, so intent and focused. The hand that guided the pen across the page, creating these looping, cursive forms. There’s a real rhythm in the writing, almost musical, like notes on a staff. I get a sense of Wijsmuller’s presence, his thoughts flowing from mind to paper. Letters are just another way of mark-making, aren't they? Like a painter who uses brushstrokes to convey emotion, Wijsmuller uses the written word to communicate his thoughts and feelings to Zilcken. I can imagine him, pen in hand, carefully forming each letter, perhaps pausing to consider the best way to express himself. And that signature! A flourish, a final mark of identity. It's a reminder that we're all connected through this act of creation, this desire to leave our mark on the world.