Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1891

This is a letter, "Brief aan Philip Zilcken," penned by Joris-Karl Huysmans in 1891. The composition is simple: dark grey lines of writing against a pale cream ground. The texture comes from the ink bleeding slightly into the fibres of the paper. The visual field is dominated by the handwritten script, which is not just a means of conveying information, but also has its own aesthetic. The letter's visual presence is important, as a record, not just of information but of an historical moment of handwriting. Looking at the letter as a formal object allows us to consider its function in the interplay between text and materiality. Huysmans’ letter is a cultural artifact. The letter blurs the line between private communication and public display, challenging conventional notions of artistic expression and how meaning is constructed through material forms.