Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1925 - 1926

Curator: Take a look at Lya Berger’s “Brief aan Philip Zilcken,” possibly from 1925 or '26. It’s an ink drawing on paper. Editor: It looks like a lost secret, like peering into a dream jotted down in elegant loops and swirls. There’s something deeply intimate about it. Is it even meant to be read? Curator: Absolutely, it’s a letter. It tells a story, maybe a secret of the sender, using fine lines to build form with light pressure—areas more visible use increased pen pressure for subtle changes in thickness to the stroke Editor: Oh, a letter! Well that definitely adds something—I can see a sort of script that reminds me of decorative lace. Who were these people? Curator: Berger was part of the Dutch artistic circle. Her personal sketchbooks offer incredible insight into her working methods, using writing and line to make preliminary visual experimentation—the receiver Zilcken was also Dutch, but with an international reputation as a portrait painter and etcher in Paris. It feels like correspondence between compatriots living apart. Editor: A snapshot of friendship, perhaps, preserved in ink. Makes me wonder what their conversation was like—do you think this might've been more than just art talk? Curator: Oh, I think it must have been; artists often develop deep bonds centered in shared sensibilities and experiences, not just studio practices! The way Berger’s lines seem to dance, to almost playfully evade a uniform appearance makes it an artform of itself, whether she ever thought it would be viewed. The ink itself looks faded in some areas, perhaps evidence of great age… Editor: Thinking of its creation that long ago adds a layer to the image—the time separating us allowing us to view something not really meant for anyone’s consumption other than two close people. That really adds weight, doesn't it? It makes the viewer also someone in confidence. Curator: Exactly! And seeing Berger’s handwriting lets you experience the world through her eyes. It's like finding a hidden story inside of a bigger art historical narrative. Editor: It certainly turns this paper into a window into the past. A beautiful, handwritten whisper from long ago.