Briefkaart aan Pieter Haverkorn van Rijsewijk Possibly 1896

This is a postcard sent by Eduard Karsen, though the date of its creation is unknown. The pale pink background and the dark grey ink form a delicate interplay, an understated palette that speaks to the transient nature of communication. Consider how the composition is divided: text, stamps, and postal marks. The handwriting, looping and personal, contrasts sharply with the block-printed 'BRIEFKAART'. Note the structural layout; the sender's address is neatly aligned at the top, creating a visual hierarchy. Karsen's intentionality is evident in the deliberate placement of each element. The postcard plays with layers of meaning; it is both a functional object of communication and a canvas for artistic expression. The stamps and postal marks, signs of the journey, become integral to the overall design. Karsen uses these mundane elements to explore the boundaries between the personal and the public, the formal and the informal. This interplay questions the very nature of art and its relationship to everyday life.