Prentbriefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1912

This is a postcard to Philip Zilcken, by Alphonse Stengelin, and the way the ink just barely grabs onto the card is so compelling. It feels like the words are fighting to stay present. The writing is a world of texture. Look how the loops and tails of the letters create a rhythmic pattern, a dance across the surface. The ink varies in thickness, sometimes a bold stroke, sometimes a delicate whisper. You can almost feel the pressure of the pen, the hand guiding it, the breath of the writer. See how some lines are darker, more deliberate, and others are fainter, trailing off. It reminds me of Cy Twombly, but intimate, like a personal conversation. It speaks to the way art is often about capturing a moment, a feeling, a fleeting thought. The fact that it's a postcard, a message sent and received, makes it all the more poignant. It’s about sharing, about connection, even across time.