Brief aan Elsie Maud Cownie Possibly 1905

Philip Zilcken wrote this letter to Elsie Maud Cownie with a pen, probably in Italy. Zilcken’s mark-making here has a unique flair; it’s all in the handwriting, so personal, like a drawing made of language. It makes me think about how everything an artist does is a record of their own process. The texture of the paper, slightly yellowed with age, and the dark blue ink create a quiet harmony. I imagine the nib of the pen scratching across the surface, each word a small gesture, a tiny painting. It’s so different from the clean lines of digital fonts, each curve and flourish tells you something about Zilcken’s hand, his mood, his relationship to Elsie. Look at how the ink pools in certain spots, a little dark and intense, before fading away. It reminds me of Cy Twombly’s scrawled notes and drawings. Both artists use the written word as a form of visual art, blurring the line between communication and expression. In this way, art invites us to linger in the space between seeing and feeling.