Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1896 - 1899

This is ‘Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken,’ a vintage postcard likely created at the turn of the century by Eduard Karsen. Immediately, we are met with a muted palette: faded pink cardstock overlaid with grey text and postal markings. The script, a web of cursive lines, dominates the composition. Observe how the artist engages with text as form, rather than purely for its communicative function. The placement of the stamp and the smudged postmarks create a visual rhythm across the card, disrupting the linear flow of the address. The handwriting itself possesses an almost calligraphic quality. This transforms the mundane act of sending mail into an exercise in visual texture and spatial arrangement. The postcard challenges our expectations of a quick correspondence. Instead it becomes an intriguing commentary on the materiality of communication and the subjective experience of time. This simple everyday object opens up a rich field for contemplation.