Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1911 - 1916

This letter was written by Hendricus Petrus Bremmer in The Hague in June of 1911. The brown ink sits on the page so delicately, and the way Bremmer forms his letters tells me he’s got a real feel for the pen. Like a painter with a brush, he’s comfortable with the tool and knows how to let it do its thing. The paper is creased, as if Bremmer has been carrying the letter around in his pocket, or perhaps the recipient did. And that handwriting, with its swooping ascenders and descenders, reminds me of Twombly, or maybe Cy, or even some of the more decorative expressionists. Look at how the tail of the 'g' in 'groet' loops back on itself! It’s like a little dance, a flourish that gives the whole letter a sense of movement and energy. Even though the content of the letter seems fairly formal, the way it’s written gives it a personal touch. It’s hard to say whether Bremmer was thinking about art when he wrote this letter, but for me, it’s another reminder that art is everywhere, even in the most unexpected places.