Brief aan August Allebé Possibly 1915

This letter to August Allebé was written by Carel Lodewijk Dake in 1915, with what appears to be a graphite pencil on paper. The looping and spidery quality of the marks reminds me of some of Cy Twombly's works. Dake’s handwriting is neat but not overly stylized, conveying a sense of urgency or intimacy, as if he wanted to get his thoughts down quickly. Look at the way he forms the letter ‘A’—it's almost a little drawing in itself! The pale grey color of the pencil against the off-white paper gives the whole piece a ghostly, ethereal feel. This letter feels like a little glimpse into the mind of the artist, a snapshot of a conversation between peers. It could be compared with the letters of Van Gogh to his brother Theo, or any of the wonderful written works of artists like Agnes Martin and Sol Lewitt. Ultimately, this piece reminds us that art is an ongoing exchange of ideas and inspiration.