Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1911 - 1919

This postcard to Philip Zilcken by Gaetano Ballardini is a beautiful example of art as communication, made sometime around 1918. The stamps and seals aren’t just bureaucratic marks, they’re part of the piece, adding layers of texture and meaning. Look at the handwriting, how the ink bleeds slightly into the paper, giving each letter a soft edge. It’s a reminder that artmaking isn’t just about grand statements, but also about the small, intimate gestures. The contrast between the formal script and the casual arrangement creates a tension that I find really compelling. It feels like a personal message trying to adhere to social conventions, but bursting at the seams. Think about someone like Cy Twombly, who also blurred the lines between writing and drawing. Ballardini, like Twombly, shows us that art is an ongoing conversation. It's about embracing the messy, the accidental, and finding beauty in the everyday.