Brief aan Philip Zilcken 1911 - 1930

Rose Imel made this letter to Philip Zilcken at some point in the first half of the 20th century. Look at the handwritten lines, they seem to flow like a river, and almost have a life of their own. It's like she’s thinking with the pen, letting the words guide her. The ink is a pale grey tone, and appears to be slightly faded, it makes me think about the passage of time, and the materiality of the page. See how the cursive loops and swirls connect each word to the next in a kind of dance? There's a real energy here, a sense of immediacy and movement. It reminds me of Cy Twombly’s work, the way he used handwriting as a form of drawing. This letter isn’t just about the information it conveys, it’s about the act of writing itself. And that is artmaking, isn’t it? It's about embracing the imperfections, the little quirks and gestures that make each piece unique.