Brief aan jonkheer Hendrik Teding van Berkhout (1879-1969) Possibly 1932

This letter was written in Amsterdam by Mommie Schwarz, January 13th, 1932. Look at the pressure of the pen on the paper, the way the loops extend, retract and then thicken out again, forming the rounded shapes of the handwritten letters. The script leans forward with energy. The visual texture of the letter is all in this dark ink on the pale paper. The marks are dense and concentrated, especially towards the closing signature, where they seem to coalesce into a kind of graphic weight, a visual anchor to the page. Note the two punched holes at the left-hand side of the letter – we are reminded that the text we see is an object that could be carried or kept in a ring binder. There is a kind of vulnerability in the gesture of letter writing, where the author’s personality and intention are so exposed on the surface of the page. It reminds me of Cy Twombly's scrawls. Every mark is like a fingerprint. This letter becomes a self-portrait.