Briefkaart aan Max Dittmar Henkel Possibly 1925

This postcard, sent in 1910 by Jacobus Henricus Maria Hagen, is addressed to Max Dittmar Henkel, a curator at the Rijksprentenkabinet, which today is part of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. As a museum object, the postcard allows us to consider the social and institutional contexts that framed artistic exchange in the early 20th century. The postcard was a popular medium for artists and intellectuals to communicate and share ideas. The brief, informal note, combined with the image on the other side, offered a snapshot into the sender’s thoughts and experiences. Consider the role of institutions like the Rijksmuseum, which served as a hub for artistic exchange, fostering dialogue among artists, curators, and collectors. The Rijksprentenkabinet itself was, and remains, a repository of prints and drawings, and in sending this postcard, Hagen was participating in a network of professionals that facilitated the circulation and preservation of art. To fully understand this object, we might consult archival records, correspondence, and institutional histories to understand the relationships between these figures and the workings of the art world at the time.