Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1894

Curator: Oh, look, it's a window into a different time! This is a "Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken," possibly from 1894, a simple postcard rendered in pen and ink. Editor: There's something hauntingly delicate about it, like catching a faded memory on paper. The pale pink of the card, the elegant handwriting…it all whispers of another era. I can almost smell old paper. Curator: It's intriguing, isn't it? Given that André Jolles created it, likely as a quick sketch. Jolles’ handwriting tells its own story; a flowing script addressed to someone who is referred to as ‘Kunstschilder’, or ‘Artist’ in English. We see postmarks of Amsterdam and another place called Braderma on the lower-left-hand side. It is now part of the Rijksmuseum's collection. Editor: Definitely captures the essence of a late 19th century correspondence – almost like holding someone's secret thoughts, their day-to-day thoughts. And those official stamps—they’re so formal, contrasting beautifully with the informal script. There's a quiet dignity in it. Curator: And think about the materiality—the deliberate strokes of the pen on paper. Today, everything's digital and fleeting. But these kinds of artworks, in ink on paper, meant the artist was very conscious of how to control pressure for darks, lights, textures etc. It would demand practice, skill and experience! Editor: Absolutely. It speaks of connection in an age without instant communication. Sending thoughts across a distance – putting feeling into the hand that presses a pen against the page. Do you wonder if Philip Zilcken valued getting his postcards at the time? Or if Jolles had no sense of the cultural worth of the correspondence? We'll never know. Curator: A poignant thought. This little postcard offers a fleeting glimpse into the relationship of both persons – which is now etched in history. We will hopefully never know that about ourselves in years to come! Editor: Indeed. A simple card, yet overflowing with understated grace. I leave this now more contemplative and with a feeling of intimate communication with the ghosts of the past.