Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1921

This letter was written in Paris in 1921 by Cato l’ Hôpital, probably with a dip pen and ink on paper. It's an amazing example of artmaking as a process, the way the handwriting just flows across the page, a cascade of dark purplish-blue. Looking closely, you can see the texture of the paper underneath, almost like a musical score, especially with the way the lines of text vary in weight and pressure. The ink is mostly opaque, but in some areas it pools and becomes denser, more like a dark shadow. You can see a similar effect where the pen has paused momentarily, creating a little blob of ink. It is almost like a miniature abstract expressionist painting! The rhythm and density of the handwriting is mesmerizing, like a visual poem. I'm reminded of Cy Twombly's scribbled paintings; both artists share a love of gesture and mark-making. It's this willingness to embrace ambiguity, to let the hand lead the way, that makes this letter such a compelling work of art. It shows us how art is an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time.