Brief aan Henriëtte de Vries Possibly 1913 - 1931

August Allebé wrote this letter to Henriëtte de Vries in 1913, its ink on paper a perfect match for its purpose. The paper itself is aged, but the ink remains remarkably strong, a testament to both the materials and the enduring power of the written word. Look at the way Allebé’s script flows, a continuous dance of loops and lines across the page. It's like watching a calligrapher at work, but with the added intimacy of a personal message. The penmanship is neat, but you can see the occasional blot or slight tremor. It's a physical record of a moment, capturing the speed and care of the writer. And consider the materiality of it: paper, ink, the pressure of the pen. These humble materials carry so much weight, connecting us to the past in a tangible way. For me, it speaks to a wider artistic conversation around form, function, and the quiet beauty of everyday communication. It is reminiscent of the written works of Cy Twombly, which are a similar blend of text and mark making. It suggests meaning is often found in the process, not just the content.