Prentbiefkaart aan A. van der Boom Possibly 1935

This postcard was penned by the Dutch artist Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst to A. van der Boom, though the date of its creation remains unknown. The message on the card seems to discuss plans for a trip, and the artist mentions places like Montricious, and Bukhara. The use of a postcard as a medium speaks to a broader trend in early 20th-century visual culture, where mass-produced images and personal communication converged. Holst, deeply embedded in the artistic and intellectual circles of the Netherlands, would likely have been aware of the democratizing potential of such media, as well as its limitations. Was this postcard a simple gesture of friendship, or did it carry a more complex commentary on the changing landscape of art and communication? To fully understand this postcard, scholars might consult Holst's extensive correspondence, exhibition records, and publications, as well as contemporary accounts of Dutch intellectual life. Only through such research can we begin to understand the meaning of this artwork as a product of its time.