Brief aan Jan Veth 1879 - 1925

Curator: Today we're looking at "Brief aan Jan Veth," a drawing by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst, likely crafted between 1879 and 1925. It’s an ink drawing on paper, held in the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: It's lovely—almost ghostly, a faded memory captured in flowing script. There’s something intimate about handwriting. You see its hesitancies and flourishes, and there's a tactile sense; you can almost hear the pen scratching against the page. Curator: Holst was deeply engaged with craft and production, especially lettering. This letter isn't just content; the *form* is carefully considered. Look at the density of the ink, the way he shapes the letters – the materiality conveys a sense of importance. Jan Veth, the recipient, was another artist, an art critic, and an author. What’s not so apparent is this drawing represents Holst's attempt to create art to bring people together and not create divisions in society. Editor: Exactly! And that careful attention—it’s love, isn't it? A labour of love for the person to whom this letter is sent and to communicate what lies in Holst’s soul to the page in artistic fashion, beyond the purely functional. I wonder what the verses say... what's hidden beneath that script, like runes in the dark. Curator: Without reading the complete transcription, the date "19 Juligh" appears. Holst describes "an inward thing that has swollen up...from my eyes to my other...", indicating the handwriting may reflect physical discomfort. Editor: Perhaps the physical constraints actually shaped the emotional power and impact of the piece. A beautiful accident. It really speaks to the act of making and being... human. Curator: For me, understanding Holst's socialist commitments helps unlock its significance, that there is no art and craft dichotomy, only creative material transformed via labor, intellect, and intention. Editor: I concur with what is captured, like the trace of someone thinking aloud, recorded not in paint or stone, but in the most fundamental medium: words. Wonderful!