Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1923 - 1924

This letter to Philip Zilcken, probably written in the early 1920s, is an intimate encounter with Verstijnen's mind, a window into his immediate thoughts and feelings. The violet ink, applied with a fluid hand, dances across the page. Look closely and you'll see the pressure of the nib varies, creating thick downstrokes and delicate hairlines. This reminds me that writing, like painting, is a physical act. The writer's body, the tool in their hand, the surface they work on—all these elements come together to create something unique. The words cluster together, a dense thicket of thought, mirroring the way thoughts crowd our minds, each vying for attention. Notice the generous loops and flourishes, the way the lines occasionally veer off course, as if the writer's thoughts are running away with them. This piece is not just a message; it's a record of a mind in motion. It reminds me of Cy Twombly's scrawled paintings, where the act of writing becomes a form of abstract expression. Art is an ongoing conversation, a messy, beautiful, and imperfect exchange of ideas across time.