Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1910 - 1911

Vittorio Pica penned this letter to Philip Zilcken in Rome in 1920, probably with a fountain pen. The faded ink gives it a quality that’s both intimate and distant, like overhearing a conversation from across a crowded room. The elegant, looping script dances across the page, sometimes thick, sometimes thin, each stroke revealing the pressure and speed of Pica’s hand. Notice the way the lines curve and intertwine, creating a rhythm that feels almost musical. It’s as if the words themselves are brushstrokes, building up a texture of thoughts and feelings. The letterhead, in faded red ink, features a nude on top of what looks like a fountain, evoking classical ideals of beauty and refinement. The choice of stationery becomes part of the message itself, revealing something about Pica's aesthetic sensibility. The letter reminds me a bit of Cy Twombly’s paintings, where handwriting becomes a form of abstract expression. Both suggest that art is really about the ongoing process of communication.