Brief aan jonkheer Hendrik Teding van Berkhout (1879-1969) before 1932

Anneke van der Feer made this letter to Hendrik Teding van Berkhout at an unknown date. The pale surface of the letter has been activated by a series of elegant cursive marks in black ink that shift and emerge through trial, error, and intuition. I sympathize with van der Feer; I wonder what it might have been like to create this piece. What was she thinking when she made it? The ink bleeds slightly into the paper, creating a delicate texture. The varying pressure of the pen seems to affect the tone, adding depth and nuance to the text. There is a particular flourish in her signature which communicates feeling, intention, and meaning, reminiscent of Cy Twombly's mark-making. I imagine this letter relates to van der Feer's wider practice and body of work, as well as the work of other painters. Artists are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. This letter reminds me of painting as a form of embodied expression which embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations and meaning over fixed or definitive readings.