Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken before 1898

This is a Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken, or postcard to Philip Zilcken by Cornelia van der Hart, which provides a glimpse into the artistic communities of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the Netherlands. This simple postcard becomes significant when we consider the position of women artists like van der Hart during this period. Often relegated to the domestic sphere or overshadowed by their male counterparts, women artists navigated considerable obstacles to participate in the art world. As such, the handwritten note addressed to Zilcken, himself an artist, implies a network of peers. Perhaps van der Hart used this correspondence to assert her presence in the professional circles of the art world and express a mutual acknowledgement and respect for another artist's work. While seemingly a simple note, this postcard speaks volumes about the nuances of identity, gender, and artistic recognition in a specific historical context.