Brief aan Philip Zilcken before 1894

This letter was penned by the Belgian poet Georges Rodenbach to Philip Zilcken, likely in 1894, using ink on paper. Look closely, and you will see the letter’s material qualities are subdued, almost humble: the standard stationery, the practical if elegant cursive script. Yet, this very modesty speaks volumes. Rodenbach's words, rendered via the accessible technology of pen and ink, bridge the gap between author and recipient. It’s a personal touch in an increasingly industrialized world. Consider the labor involved – the manufacturing of paper and ink, the writer's dedicated time, the postal worker's route. Letters like these were essential tools for maintaining social networks, exchanging information, and conducting business. They are testaments to the necessity of communication in a pre-digital age. Even a seemingly simple piece of correspondence like this invites us to consider the social and economic context of its creation. It challenges the idea of a strict hierarchy between art and craft, revealing the value and artistry inherent in everyday acts of making.