Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1927

This letter was penned by Ferdinand-Sigismund Bac to Philip Zilcken sometime in May 1927. The handwriting has a personal touch, like a drawing in itself; notice the way the letters loop and connect. It's all about flow and movement. The blue ink on this thin piece of paper creates a delicate surface. The pressure of the nib creates tiny variations in the line. It's these kinds of intimate details that can shape our feelings towards the piece. See how the writing is pushed to the left, the edge of the page almost acting as a constraint for the artist's ideas? The diagonal slant of the last few lines of the letter create a sense of depth, which is reminiscent of the abstract work of Cy Twombly. Bac’s work often embodies a sense of intimacy and personal connection. This letter is a small, but important, piece of that conversation.