Envelop aan Philip Zilcken before 1907

This envelope, addressed to Philip Zilcken and penned by Eugénie Clapier-Houchart, is like a little drawing in itself. I'm drawn to the handmade quality of it, the pale paper worn with age, the careful cursive address. The stamps, with their delicate figures, feel like miniature paintings. Notice the postmark, a blurred circle that anchors the piece in time, 1913. There's an intimacy here, a sense of a personal exchange happening through these material traces. I love the little imperfections, the smudges and faded ink that make it so real. This envelope reminds me of the work of Cy Twombly, in that it elevates the everyday into something poetic. It reminds us that art can be found in the simplest of things, in the way we communicate and leave our mark on the world. It’s a nice reminder that beauty is in the details.