Briefkaart aan Willem Bogtman before 1923

This postcard to Willem Bogtman at the Rijksmuseum comes from the hand of Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst. Think about the back of a postcard, the cancelled stamp, the hurriedly scribbled address, the ghost of a message, and the anticipation of delivery. It's a small artifact charged with intention. Holst probably knew Bogtman personally. I imagine the artist pausing, pen in hand, considering what to write, maybe feeling the pressure of the blank space—a painter facing a canvas, but in miniature. The stamp and postal markings are like abstract shapes dancing on the surface, echoing the graphic elements of Holst’s larger body of work. The handwriting itself, looping and leaning, becomes a kind of drawing, each stroke a deliberate act of communication. Holst was part of a community of artists and thinkers, exchanging ideas and influencing each other's work. Painting, like letter-writing, is about connection, a way of reaching out across time and space. It reminds me that every mark we make is part of a larger conversation, a continuous dialogue between artists past and present.