Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1888

This handwritten letter was penned by Anne Busken Huet-van der Tholl in Paris, July 1888. It is a fragment of a correspondence that sheds light on the social and artistic networks of the late 19th century. Looking at the letter’s content and context, we can learn about the cultural values of the Dutch intellectual elite of that time. Anne Busken Huet-van der Tholl, herself a writer, was married to critic Conrad Busken Huet and here expresses her gratitude to Jan Veth, an artist, critic, writer and poet, for sending them a portrait. Veth was part of the Dutch revival of the arts and crafts movement. This letter therefore bears witness to the importance of personal connections in the art world, and the role of critics in shaping the reception of art. Historians would research archives, biographies, and publications of the time to fully understand this letter’s significance. The meaning of this seemingly simple correspondence emerges from its rich social and institutional context.