Brief aan Philip Zilcken 1901 - 1930

This letter to Philip Zilcken, written in French with ink on paper by mevrouw R. Himelschein, feels very painterly to me. I can imagine the artist holding her pen like a brush, carefully forming each stroke. The letter is not just about communication; it's about the physical act of writing, of pressing ink onto paper, of leaving a trace. It's a record of a moment in time, a gesture frozen in place. The handwriting itself is so telling – the way the loops curl and the lines slant. You can almost feel the rhythm of the writer's hand, the pressure and release of each stroke. I wonder what mevrouw Himelschein was thinking as she wrote this letter? Was she thinking about the person she was writing to, or was she more focused on the act of writing itself? Probably both, and that tension between thought and action is what makes this letter so compelling. I’m reminded of Cy Twombly. Letters like these offer a completely different way of seeing and thinking about the world, and that each one is a unique, personal expression.