Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1919

Curator: Here we have a piece titled "Brief aan Philip Zilcken," likely created in 1919. It’s an ink drawing on paper. Editor: Immediately, I see fragility. The cursive script almost floats on the page, and it feels so personal. Curator: Absolutely. The text exhibits the kind of hand-lettering characteristic of its time. This piece seems like it belongs within someone's personal sketchbook, almost like a fleeting thought captured. Editor: The swirls and loops remind me of old-fashioned hotel stationery—the kind you'd find tucked away in a drawer. And there’s that "Grand Hotel Metropole" letterhead. Did this Philip Zilcken travel a lot? Curator: Perhaps, or he was a distinguished recipient worthy of elegant stationery. Calligraphy in that period also spoke to the artistic inclination of the sender—Romanticism embraced these flourishes. Editor: The sentiment "Bien cher Maitre" makes me wonder about the nature of their relationship, teacher and student maybe? You almost get a sense that whatever is written is going to be intimate and personal, as that opening sets up the content so beautifully. Curator: The letter writer also mentions ateliers and making plans for a library. This could very well point toward two creative contemporaries, with one acting as a patron for the other's work, influencing the direction of their art. The drawing provides context to their bond, and gives it significance that time and artistic investment provides. Editor: You're right; it suggests an intellectual exchange, artistic advice maybe, something more substantial than just everyday chitchat. What a glimpse into a friendship—epistolary time travel! I keep imagining the sound of the pen scratching across the paper... Curator: Letters truly were time capsules back then, carefully crafted records of thought and connection, and seeing one like this invites introspection on how we construct lasting relationships through our words. Editor: For me, it's that whisper of another life lived – a tantalizing snippet we're only briefly privy to, and a delicate aesthetic offering too.