Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1918

This letter to Philip Zilcken, penned by Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje in Leiden in 1918, is a lesson in mark-making. Look at the way the ink bleeds into the aged paper. It’s not just about the words, but the physical act of writing, the pressure of the pen, the absorption of the ink. Artmaking is, after all, a process of layering intentions, letting the medium guide you, allowing accidents to happen. The texture of the paper, the way it's stained and foxed, it speaks of time. The ink, a deep, dark brown, varies in density, pooling in some areas, fading in others. It reminds me of the way we build up layers in a painting, letting the underlayers peek through, revealing the history of the work. Notice the way the letters dance and lean. It's a direct trace of the human hand, an unmediated expression of thought. It's like a painter's brushstroke, each one unique, each one telling a story. I'm reminded of Cy Twombly, who also used writing as a form of drawing. Art, like writing, is about embracing ambiguity, inviting multiple interpretations.