Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1913

Curator: Looking at "Brief aan Philip Zilcken," quite likely from 1913, it feels as if we are encountering a fragment from a life, written in ink on paper. Editor: Oh, absolutely. I get an intimate feeling right away—a sense of whisper quiet intentions from another time. The handwriting is beautiful but challenging; like a half-forgotten song. Curator: The text, done with such careful calligraphy, represents more than simple communication, it illustrates the cultural emphasis of correspondence from that era, prior to the dominance of instantaneous forms of dialogue we take for granted now. We may assume it was of great value to Pica to carefully craft this personal object for Zilcken. Editor: I am intrigued by the slight golden circular design that tops the handwritten passage—the placement feels as though it is the head upon which the flowing text finds its stance. Curator: This portrait-oriented presentation is quite considered. And that detail speaks to the conventions of letter-writing and the epistolary genre in a way that reveals aspects of class and intellect. There are many hidden factors at play here that determine how information flows through society at that moment. Editor: Exactly. What's communicated between these two men goes so far beyond simply the ink and paper. We are party to the residue of feelings in that gesture of sending thoughts across space. How vulnerable they become, and, conversely, how potent! Curator: Precisely. Letters themselves serve as social texts and can give voice to intimate perspectives or the larger ambitions that the dominant culture imposes on such voices. Editor: Thinking about how precious this sort of physical exchange once was makes it even more poignant—and a little bit envious for someone who writes endless e-mails, rather than heartfelt correspondence. It serves as a powerful invitation to seek out connections in a less fleeting way.