Brief aan Georg Rueter Possibly 1914

This letter to Georg Rueter was written by August Allebé in 1914. It's ink on paper and it shows a lot of swirling script! You can really see the hand of the artist here, can't you? Imagine Allebé, pen in hand, carefully forming each letter. It’s a formal, looping script, but with some clear intent that peeks through. I wonder what he was thinking as he chose each word, each flourish, to write to Rueter? The pressure and drag of the pen leaves a dark trail, almost sculptural in its presence on the page. It’s like a dance between thought and action, a conversation between two people from long ago – but it's so familiar! Painters are always communicating across time, sharing ideas and techniques. It’s a beautiful thing to see those links, to feel like you’re part of that ongoing dialogue. And here, in the scratch of the pen, is where we find Allebé.