Briefkaart aan Frans Buffa en Zonen before 1876

Here’s a postcard addressed to Frans Buffa en Zonen, made by Jozef Israëls in 1895. It’s humble and unassuming, made from mass-produced card stock printed with a decorative border. The card itself speaks to the rise of a modern postal system, and the ways in which communication became democratized in the late 19th century. Its very existence is thanks to advancements in industrial processes, from paper production to printing, that made such items readily available and affordable. Look closely, and you will notice the stamp, a testament to a system that connected individuals across distances, a system built on networks of labor and infrastructure. The handwritten address adds a personal touch, a contrast to the standardized format of the card itself. It is a reminder that even within systems of mass production and consumption, individual expression and connection persist. As a humble piece of ephemera, it invites us to consider the intersection of art, everyday life, and the systems that shape our world.