Briefkaart aan Jan Veth Possibly 1906

This postcard was penned by Karel Johan Lodewijk Alberdingk Thijm, likely with ink, to Jan Veth. It’s not paint, but the same principles apply: it’s a record of movement, decisions made in real time. The artist’s hand is visible in the looping script, each word a small performance. Look at the stamps, the smudged ink of the postmark, the spidery handwriting. It’s all about the surface, the trace of the artist’s, and the postal worker's, touch. The pale paper, the faded green ink – time has softened everything, creating a delicate, almost ghostly effect. The word 'Bussum' there at the bottom is written with a flourish. Think of Cy Twombly's scribbles, or even the palimpsests of Antoni Tàpies. This unassuming postcard is a reminder that art doesn’t always need to shout to be heard. Sometimes, it whispers.