Brief aan Willem Bogtman Possibly 1925 - 1931

Here is a letter and a drawing made in pen and ink by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst in 1925. It’s an artwork of casual genius. The scratchy, almost frantic marks, create a visual texture that feels both urgent and intimate, like catching a glimpse into the artist's stream of consciousness. Look at the little sketch of a face nestled amongst the handwriting! It’s rendered with such minimal, yet expressive lines. Each stroke feels deliberate, capturing a mood with incredible economy. You can almost feel the nib of the pen dragging across the page, leaving behind a trail of dark, slightly uneven ink. Holst’s letter reminds me a little of the drawings of Alfred Jarry, who was out there exploring the edges of art, literature, and life. Holst, like Jarry, seems to be embracing the raw, unfiltered energy of the moment, letting the imperfections become part of the work's strange beauty. Art doesn't always have to be polished or perfect. Sometimes, it's the messy, spontaneous gestures that speak the loudest.