Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1927

This is a letter written in 1972 by Maria Biermé to Philip Zilcken from her address in Brussels. Biermé, a Belgian artist who lived through both World Wars, was part of a generation of women who navigated the intersections of artistic expression and societal expectations. The letter, penned in elegant French, reveals an intimacy between the sender and recipient. Biermé apologizes for not expressing her gratitude sooner, she describes the mental effort it takes for her to write to Zilcken and the difficulties she faces in Belgium. The choice of language, the careful script, all speak to a cultivated exchange between artists, and a world of salons and intellectual life. We can almost feel the weight of history, the personal struggles reflected in her words, and the quiet determination of a woman artist maintaining connections in a changing world. It serves as a poignant reminder of the personal and emotional dimensions embedded within art history.