Brief aan Johan Philip van der Kellen Possibly 1890

This letter was written by Henri Teixeira de Mattos, using ink on paper. The looping script and carefully chosen words are not merely a means of communication; they are a symbolic dance. The very act of handwriting, connecting thought to page through physical gesture, echoes the ancient traditions of scribes and scholars. Consider the evolution of script, from sacred texts painstakingly copied by monks to personal correspondence, each stroke imbued with intention and emotion. The letter itself is a vessel, carrying the author's thoughts across space and time. Like a prayer or an incantation, it seeks to bridge a gap, to connect the sender and receiver in a shared moment of understanding. The flourish of the signature at the bottom, serves as a personal emblem, a mark of identity that speaks to the primal need to leave our mark on the world, to assert our existence in the face of oblivion. This act is a potent force, engaging us on a deep, subconscious level. The non-linear, cyclical progression of this symbol—handwriting—has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.