Briefkaart aan Henriette Wilhelmina van Baak Possibly 1942

This postcard to Henriette Wilhelmina van Baak, was written by A. Vincentelli in 1942. The ink seems to want to travel across the porous surface of the card, and the stamp sits regimented in the corner with the wavy lines suggesting it is in action, on the way. I wonder about Vincentelli's writing hand. Were they slow and considered, or was the message rushed, dashed off amidst the chaos of life? I imagine the writer, perched at a table, penning a quick note, thinking about the recipient, their friendship and the contents of the message. There is the sender's address in Paris and the recipient's in Villefranche – a small moment of connection in wartime France. The act of writing this card is a little like painting, each stroke adding to the composition, creating a rhythm, building towards a whole that carries feeling and meaning. Perhaps this small card is a work of art, a fleeting moment captured in ink and paper. And what is the message? We can only guess, allowing the ambiguity to spark our own interpretations.