Briefkaart aan Philip Zicken before 1893

This "Briefkaart aan Philip Zicken" was composed around 1892, likely using a printing press for the card itself, and handwriting in ink. The material of the card is paper, humble stuff, but the very vehicle of modern communication. Note the printed elements: the border, the pre-printed text in multiple languages indicating its international reach, and the implication of standardized postal rates via the stamp. These are all evidence of industrial production and distribution, the fruits of modernity. And yet, the handwritten address and personal note connect it to an intimate, human scale. Consider the amount of labor involved in the production of the card, and the transportation, contrasting with the apparent ease of the handwritten message, and the social networks enabled by this global postal system. The card stock itself is cheap, but it has been imbued with personal value through the artist’s message. Paying attention to these details of material and making allows us to see the complex relationships between industry, art, and everyday life.