Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1929

This letter, "Brief aan Philip Zilcken," was written in French, from Les Colombières, Menton, France, on the 20th of February 1924 by Ferdinand-Sigismund Bac to Philip Zilcken. Bac expresses his gratitude for Zilcken's publication of a study on Les Colombières in a Revue. This seemingly simple thank you note gestures to the early twentieth century cultural and artistic exchange. Bac was not only a French artist, but also a landscape architect, writer, and caricaturist. His identity as a member of the French elite afforded him an interesting position in society. He designed gardens for wealthy clients on the French Riviera. Bac’s letter to Zilcken reveals the relationship between art, social status, and the cultural milieu of the time. The context of this letter, between two members of the European elite, exposes a network of shared aesthetic values and intellectual exchange.