Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1909

Gustave Bourcard made this letter to Philip Zilcken using ink on paper. When I see a letter, especially one like this, I think about gesture. Look at the lines of the writing. They almost dance across the page. You can imagine Bourcard’s hand moving, the pen gliding and scratching, each stroke a little performance. Letters are like miniature drawings, aren't they? Each word formed with care, the pressure of the pen varying, creating a rhythm. What was Bourcard thinking as he wrote? Was he in a hurry, or did he take his time, savoring each word? I like to imagine him pausing, considering his thoughts, the ink still wet on the page. We don’t know what he was thinking, but we can feel the intention, the care, the human touch in each stroke. Artists, like Bourcard, are always in conversation, sharing ideas across time. Each letter, each painting, each artwork is part of an ongoing dialogue.