Brief aan Philip Zilcken 1890 - 1930

Albert Verwey wrote this letter to Philip Zilcken in 189-something with a fountain pen and ink. You can see the evidence of a life lived, a life of communication and friendship. The letter begins with the name of the hotel in the upper-left corner, followed by the address. The casual looping script has been dashed down with a sense of urgency. The handwriting seems to float above those regimented pale-blue lines of the page. It makes me think of Cy Twombly, with his own blend of writing and painting, where language turns into an abstract squiggle. I imagine the letter was written in haste in a hotel room, or perhaps even in a cafe. Verwey is writing to a friend, maybe about art, maybe about life. There’s something so intimate about this letter, a snapshot of a moment in time. Letters can be like paintings. A glimpse into the artist's world, their hopes, and fears.