Briefkaart aan Pieter Haverkorn van Rijsewijk Possibly 1899

This is Eduard Karsen’s "Briefkaart aan Pieter Haverkorn van Rijsewijk," an undated correspondence. What strikes you immediately is the structural arrangement of text and official stamps against the plainness of the card itself. Observe how Karsen uses the postal markings—the circular imprints and rectangular stamp—as visual anchors. Their placement isn't merely functional; they create a semiotic relationship between sender and receiver, between personal message and bureaucratic process. The handwritten script, flowing and intimate, contrasts sharply with the rigid, impersonal typography of 'BRIEFKAART'. Consider this interplay as Karsen subtly questions the boundaries between public and private, official and personal. The card serves not just as a message carrier but as a commentary on communication itself. It's a reminder that even the simplest forms can become powerful sites of artistic expression and conceptual inquiry.