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

This letter, penned in The Hague on December 25th, 1932, is a fascinating artifact by Henri van der Stok. Imagine van der Stok hunched over his desk, carefully forming each word with ink on paper. The act of writing itself becomes a form of drawing, a choreography of thought and hand. I imagine him grappling with ideas of light and sending, of series and stars. There’s a real sense of care in his words, a desire to connect with Hendrik Teding van Berkhout through these constellations of thought. It reminds me of other artists, like Agnes Martin, who used the grid as a structure for exploring subtle variations and emotional resonance. Van der Stok’s letter is a different kind of grid, one made of language, but it shares that same sense of quiet contemplation. Artists like van der Stok and Martin remind us that art isn't just about the final product, but about the process of thinking, feeling, and making that unfolds along the way, a continuing conversation across time.