Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1897

François Thiébault-Sisson crafted this letter to Philip Zilcken in ink on paper; its visual impact lies in the interplay of form and content. The artist uses line work to create shapes and textures that evoke an emotional response. Observe how the delicate lines form the text which becomes a visual entity in itself, dictating the structure of the composition through handwritten script. The strokes vary in weight, creating a rhythm across the page, emphasizing the texture of the writing, its dark forms against the pale page, and the controlled flow of the writing. The composition invites questions about how art intersects with structuralism and semiotics. The letter could be decoded as a semiotic system of signs, with visual components and cultural codes to interpret. Thiébault-Sisson’s aesthetic engages with new ways of thinking about perception and representation by challenging the fixed definitions of art and communication.