Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken before 1898

This Briefkaart, or postcard, was likely produced in the Netherlands around 1898, addressed by Jan Hoynck van Papendrecht to Philip Zilcken. Hoynck van Papendrecht was a painter and illustrator known for his military scenes. The image itself is unassuming, but it opens up a world of social and institutional history. Postcards like this became popular in the late 19th century, facilitated by the expansion of postal services and advancements in printing technology. The design elements, like the coat of arms, and stamp, reveal the bureaucracy of nation states at the time, creating a sense of national identity. To understand this postcard fully, a historian would delve into postal archives, study the biographies of Hoynck van Papendrecht and Zilcken, and examine the social conventions of letter writing at the time. This postcard reminds us that art, even in its most humble forms, is embedded in a complex web of social and institutional practices.