Envelop aan anoniem 1867 - 1930

Philip Zilcken created this envelope to an anonymous recipient sometime before his death in 1930. Given the private nature of correspondence, what can an envelope tell us about the social conditions in which it was made? Zilcken's era, like our own, saw an increasing reliance on written communication, yet the act of sending a letter held a different weight. The intimacy of handwriting, the deliberate choice of paper, and the anticipation of delivery all contributed to a unique form of connection. Zilcken’s envelope represents the social rituals of its time. Careful study of Zilcken's life and the social history of correspondence in the Netherlands may reveal insights into the identity of the intended recipient and the nature of their relationship. It serves as a reminder that every artwork, even the most unassuming, is embedded in a web of social and institutional contexts that shape its meaning and significance.