Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1921

This letter to Jan Veth was written in 1921 by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst, and it's interesting to think about writing as a kind of drawing. Here, the ink meanders across the page with a rhythm all its own. The paper has aged, it's a warm, creamy color now, and the dark ink contrasts boldly. Look at how the lines tilt and lean, like they're dancing! The letterforms swell and diminish with a kind of urgency. It's not just about the words, it's about the pressure of the pen, the speed, the hesitations. You can imagine the artist's hand moving across the page, the thoughts flowing out in a direct, unmediated way. Each stroke has a texture, a weight, that contributes to the overall feel. It reminds me of Cy Twombly's scribbled paintings, which, like this letter, find a strange beauty in the immediacy of the mark. Letters like this show us how even everyday communication can be artful. It’s a great reminder that art isn't just about grand gestures, it’s also in the small, intimate details of how we express ourselves.