Brief aan Saskia Delprat-Veth 1899 - 1934

This letter to Saskia Delprat-Veth was written by Isaac Israels in Solo, Java, probably with a fountain pen. It's got that informal quality, the ink kind of pools in certain spots, and you can see the different pressures he applied as he wrote, the whole thing feels really immediate, like it came straight from the hand to the page. Looking closely, you can see how the ink sits slightly raised on the paper. It’s not just information; it’s an object, a record of a specific moment. I like the way some of the words are bolder than others. The ascenders and descenders are all different lengths and angles, making it feel very personal. Each word has a slightly different weight and texture. The little dots and crosses over the I's and T's are quite beautiful too. For me, the intimacy and directness of this letter is reminiscent of Cy Twombly’s mark making, where writing transcends language and becomes pure gesture. It reminds us that art is always a conversation, a back-and-forth between artists across time.