Brief aan Jan Veth 1878 - 1925

This letter to Jan Veth, was written in 1896 by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst, we can tell it was made using ink on paper, look at the way the ink bleeds slightly into the fibres. It's not just about what's written, but how it's written that gives it character. I'm drawn to the loops in the handwriting, the way each word seems to dance across the page. The letter is a physical object, with its own texture and weight, it's a reminder that art is not just about ideas, but about materials and process. You can see the paper is ageing and discoloured, this fragility reminds me of a Cy Twombly drawing. Holst's letter reminds me that art is an ongoing conversation, a dialogue between artists across time. Like any good conversation, it's full of ambiguity and open to multiple interpretations, which is what makes it so interesting.