Geboortekaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1901 - 1908

Curator: This is "Geboortekaart aan Philip Zilcken," a birth announcement, likely dating from the early 1900s, now residing here at the Rijksmuseum. It showcases a blend of graphic art and typography. Editor: It's deceptively simple, isn't it? The aged paper gives it this wonderful sense of delicacy and ephemeral charm, but the typography speaks of such intentionality. Curator: Exactly. It's Art Nouveau in its soul. See how the curvilinear forms dance with the rigid structure of the typography? It suggests growth, beginnings—but also control, design. Editor: And the process itself intrigues me. Consider the labor involved: designing the typography, selecting the paper, the printing— probably something involving textile print at some point. This was a designed object destined for, most likely, material insertion in an envelope. Curator: Imagine the care taken with each card, knowing it's destined to announce the arrival of a new life. It makes the card feel almost… sacred. A ritual. Editor: A social and familial ritual, no doubt, wrapped in capitalist ritual of acquiring, consuming, sending... who made the paper? And the ink? These details matter! This speaks of accessibility within a burgeoning class. Curator: You're pulling back the curtain! I prefer the whisper of mystery it holds. Perhaps the family meticulously chose this particular stock to reflect their own aesthetic sensibilities. It becomes another layer in expressing who they are, their place in the world. Editor: I do see it, although such details often signal one's social class and privilege, especially given it likely wasn't created via digital production, where one can control, command, and copy with total reproducibility at practically zero marginal cost. What’s so beautiful about this birth card is how, through an intense use of the decorative arts and simple, artisanal design, the artifact gains even greater meaning when thinking about all of its inherent and original materials and their conditions. Curator: Perhaps it all just boils down to a simple, heartfelt desire: to welcome new life into a world framed by beauty. Editor: Agreed. The artifact shows not only their love for the baby but, by extension, everyone's love for baby at that time through art and art production that captures what making life special could and would look like as social labor.