Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1896

This is a letter to Philip Zilcken written in Amsterdam on November 25, 1896 by Henriëtte de Vries. This missive is a great reminder that even seemingly mundane objects can serve as valuable artifacts. De Vries likely penned it from her home at Sarphatipark 50. We can contextualize this particular letter as part of a cultural shift underway in the Netherlands at the close of the 19th century. There was a growing interest in the decorative arts and illustration, and periodicals such as De Vries mentions were a key venue for showcasing new artistic talent. This letter hints at the institutional structures through which artists made their living and the ways correspondence functioned within them. The existence of this letter today reminds us that the seemingly private communications are invaluable historical source material. By studying such documents, we can gain a deeper understanding of the social conditions that shaped artistic production.