Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken before 1889

This postcard to Philip Zilcken, by Adriaan Pit, is an everyday object elevated to the level of art through its design and historical context. At first glance, it’s simply a piece of cardstock, printed with standard postal markings, and handwritten text in ink. But consider the materiality here. The card itself, likely mass-produced, speaks to the rise of industrial printing and the increasing accessibility of communication. The handwriting, in contrast, reveals the personal touch, the individual effort in composing and sending a message. The printed elements – the coat of arms, the word "BRIEFKAART," the stamp – all reflect a system of governance and exchange, of national identity and postal service infrastructure. Each of these elements represent a whole network of work and production. What seems like a simple artifact is, in fact, a nexus of social, economic, and personal forces, blurring the lines between the handmade and the machine-made, between the individual and the state.