Brief aan Ina van Eibergen Santhagens-Waller c. 1934

This handwritten letter, penned by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst, is a reminder of artmaking as a process. It's a dance between thought and hand, captured in ink on paper. Look at the quality of the paper – its texture probably dictated how the ink spread, influencing the form of each letter. Holst’s hand moves across the page, creating a unique rhythm. See how the strokes vary in thickness, reflecting the pressure he applied. It feels intimate, like we’re glimpsing his thoughts as they take shape. Notice the words that are smudged, the corrections, these are not mistakes but part of the process, revealing the artist’s engagement with the act of writing itself. This letter reminds me of Cy Twombly's scribbled paintings, where the process of making is as important as the final image. Art is a conversation across time, and in this letter, we see a glimpse of Holst's voice, echoing even now.