Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1890 - 1892

This letter, written by Gustave Bourcard, bears a striking red wax seal. This ancient symbol of authenticity and privacy has roots stretching back to the earliest days of written communication. The seal, pressed into the wax, becomes a potent emblem of inviolability. Consider how such seals appear in medieval royal decrees, securing the word of kings. The very act of breaking a seal, like opening Pandora’s Box, implies a transgression, a venture into forbidden knowledge. Now, think of Freud's theories of repression, where hidden desires and memories are locked away in the subconscious. The unbroken seal represents that which is concealed, a barrier between the conscious and the unconscious. The vibrant red, moreover, can be seen as an allusion to blood, passion, and the intensity of the hidden contents. Bourcard’s letter becomes more than a mere message, it's a psychological portal, a glimpse into the complex interplay between concealment and revelation, echoing through the ages.