Brief aan Philip Zilcken 1868 - 1928

Curator: What catches my eye right away about this piece is the handwriting. It feels so personal, immediate. Editor: It is. Here at the Rijksmuseum, we have "Brief aan Philip Zilcken," or "Letter to Philip Zilcken," created sometime between 1868 and 1928 by Jan Toorop. It's rendered in pen and ink as a drawing, offering a fascinating glimpse into Toorop's thoughts. Curator: The flow and the looping style evoke a certain romanticism, perhaps an urgency in getting his ideas down. It almost feels like peeking into someone’s dream journal. The words themselves seem to dance on the page. Editor: Absolutely, handwriting, especially in personal letters, carries so much social context. Letters were once a primary means of communication. Toorop uses that form to express ideas. Looking at his writing also exposes his mindset during his time and place within his milieu. You mentioned Romanticism and I feel its impact can definitely be sensed through the dynamism within his handscript. Curator: Precisely, a symbol in and of itself. To think, Toorop put pen to paper in service of raw, immediate thinking and how in this day and age the majority types their thoughts in a controlled digital interface. This drawing feels rebellious in a strange, analog way! Editor: Right, its tangible nature really invites speculation, doesn't it? I think one cannot undermine that a work such as this drawing represents artistic dialogue—written communication playing a part in how artists inspire and relate to one another through shared creative concepts and pursuits. Curator: Considering it is not as immediately sensational as some of the museum’s larger works, there is power in its intimacy; a unique emotional texture that might draw us closer to the period it embodies. Editor: Agreed. This letter serves not only as art, but an intriguing historical document—a small, potent portal.