Brief aan onbekend (vermoedelijk Anna Dorothea Dirks) after 1925

This letter, written by Isaac Israels in Brussels, is a beautiful example of how handwriting can be art. Look at the ink; it’s not just black, but has a range of tones, from almost grey to solid black. This is artmaking in its most intimate form. The letters themselves are alive, like little figures dancing on the page. See how the ink pools in certain spots, creating tiny, unexpected shadows? That’s where the pen lingered, where the thought was perhaps more intense, more considered. It’s like a tiny abstract painting within each word. The flow of the script suggests a real urgency, as if he were driven to set down his thoughts on paper. It reminds me a little of Cy Twombly’s scribbled paintings, where writing becomes drawing, and meaning is suggested as much as it’s stated. With both artists, ambiguity is embraced. We don't need to know exactly what they're saying to feel the emotion.