Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1914

This postcard was sent to Philip Zilcken by Victor Eugène Louis de Stuers in 1914. Look at the handwriting! It’s so elegant; I bet he used a dip pen and ink well. I wonder what it was like to write a letter back then. You’d really have to mean what you said, it’s not like today where you can dash off a text message. The slow pace makes you consider the meaning behind each word. I can imagine the Jonkheer sitting there, his brow furrowed, carefully choosing his words. And you have to think about the recipient too! What's he like? How does he react to the letter? If that was me, I'd be reading between the lines, trying to figure out what he really means. The act of sending the letter is an artwork of its own! It becomes a form of embodied expression which embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations.