Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1903 - 1925

This is an envelope, a letter in fact, from Grada Hermina Marius. It’s an artwork made of paper, ink, and a stamp, addressed to Philip Zilcken. The handwriting, it's not just information; it's like a little drawing, each letter a brushstroke. The way she forms her ‘M’ in ‘Marius’ feels like a gesture, a tiny dance. The stamp and the circular postmarks add layers, like collage, grounding the personal message in a specific time and place. See how the stamp is slightly askew? Imperfect. I love that. It’s like a painting where the artist leaves the drips and smudges—evidence of the process. This reminds me of Hanne Darboven’s work, where she used repetitive writing and calendrical systems. Both artists transform the mundane into something poetic, something that makes you think about time, communication, and the beauty of the everyday. Art, like a letter, is a conversation, a way of reaching out, of saying, "I was here."