Envelop aan Philip Zilcken 1866 - 1925

This is an envelope addressed by Léonce Bénédite to Philip Zilcken, though its exact date is unknown. It gives us a glimpse into the social networks of the art world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Bénédite was the director of the Musée du Luxembourg in Paris, an institution which played a crucial role in determining artistic reputations at the time, and the address on the envelope is of the Musée National du Luxembourg. Zilcken was a Dutch artist, critic, and writer, who would have been well-known among the artistic elite of his day. The envelope is a reminder that art history is not just about individual masterpieces, but it is also about social connections, institutional power, and the circulation of ideas. Correspondence like this is a valuable resource for historians to understand the complex relationships that shaped the art world of the past.