Brief aan Willem Bogtman 1923

This is a letter by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst, a note on paper with ink, a quicksilver capture of thought. It's so process-driven, a direct line from mind to page, like a drawing really. The gray ink, almost blending with the paper, creates a soft, intimate feel. You can almost hear the scratching of the pen, feel the pressure of the hand guiding it. Look at how the lines wobble and dance, the way the letters tilt and lean on each other – it's like a little choreography. It reminds me of Cy Twombly's handwriting-as-drawing, that same sense of impulsive mark-making. In the top left he writes "A'Jam Wormsday?", which makes it sound like he's writing a postcard from another planet. This is art that embraces the imperfect, the fleeting. It's a conversation, not a declaration, and like any good conversation, it leaves you with more questions than answers.