Visitekaartje aan Philip Zilcken 1835 - 1907

Editor: So here we have a carte de visite – a calling card, if you will – created by Léon Gauchez sometime between 1835 and 1907. It’s rather unassuming, just elegant handwriting on cardstock. I find it somewhat… melancholic. What story do you think it’s trying to tell, or perhaps hint at? Curator: Ah, a calling card! Once, a vital social object! I sense in its elegant script not melancholy, but a quiet aspiration. Consider the flourish, the precise weight of each line; Gauchez isn't just stating his name, he’s crafting an image. It's a performance in ink, an attempt to charm before he even enters the room! What do *you* think that handwritten "Avec les meilleurs souhaits de" suggests in terms of intention, performance? Editor: I guess I see your point! I was so caught up in the muted tones of the paper that I missed that performative aspect. The "best wishes" are interesting. I thought it felt impersonal before, like a remnant. Now I see it could be seen as actively trying to create a relationship... it's not as bleak! Curator: Precisely! A social handshake, a soft-spoken invitation. Though... one wonders, was Zilcken receptive? Did the visit flourish, or was the card, like many intentions, filed away and forgotten? That is the ultimate artful mystery that keeps the artwork…alive. Editor: It certainly makes you consider all the potential stories behind the card. Now I see a subtle, almost theatrical, performance instead of just fading stationery. Curator: A fleeting moment preserved, pregnant with unspoken possibility. Perhaps we give the card too much power? Or, maybe we now understand it, at least, just a little better?