Brief aan Philip Zilcken 1867 - 1888

This is a letter to Philip Zilcken by Anton Mauve. It’s ink on paper, humble materials put to the service of communication. Consider the labor involved here. Mauve had to be literate, educated enough to correspond with an art critic. He likely used a quill pen, carefully shaped and dipped into an inkwell. The act of writing itself – forming each letter with precision – speaks to a tradition of penmanship, a skill honed through practice. The paper, likely handmade, carries its own history. Rag paper like this was a valuable commodity. The texture, weight, and color of the paper all contribute to the letter's significance as a crafted object, not simply a message. Letters like these were essential to the art world and were acts of connection between individuals. While we may think of letters as documents, they are actually more like conversations through material objects. Next time you send an email, think about the labor of past communications.