Brief aan Jan Toorop

Here we have Theo van Rysselberghe’s, ‘Brief aan Jan Toorop,’ made with ink on paper, probably in 1901. The blue ink is applied with such a flowing, easy hand. I love seeing the kind of everyday mark-making that ends up as art. Artmaking is just the process of living, right? This letter is so casual. The texture of the paper contrasts with the density of the ink, creating a visual rhythm as my eye moves across the page. The slant of the handwriting gives it a sense of movement. It’s like the words are dancing across the surface, full of life and energy. Look at the way he forms his ‘s’s and ‘t’s – each one has its own character! It's the sort of thing that makes you realize handwriting is drawing. Van Rysselberghe’s work, especially his pointillist paintings, shares this attention to detail. Think of Seurat, another artist obsessed with the minutiae of experience, but Van Rysselberghe brings a touch of intimacy that reminds us that art is just a conversation, one brushstroke, or one word, at a time.