Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1898

This is a letter written in 1898 by Albert Plasschaert to Philip Zilcken. Plasschaert was a Dutch artist, art critic, and writer, and this letter offers us a glimpse into the late 19th-century art world. Letters like this are valuable historical documents as they reveal the social networks and institutional frameworks that shaped artistic production. In this case, Plasschaert discusses illustrations for the literary magazine "Elsevier," highlighting the relationship between artists, writers, and publishers. The letter also touches on practical matters, such as the number of drawings, their size, and the artist's fee. By studying such documents, we can gain a deeper understanding of the economic and social conditions that influenced the creation and dissemination of art at the time. It allows us to reconstruct the complex web of relationships that sustained artistic activity and to appreciate the role of art within broader cultural conversations. Such archival material, combined with an understanding of the institutions in which artists operated, helps us understand their world.