Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken before 1918

This is a briefkaart, or postcard, addressed to Philip Zilcken, from F.M. Melchers. Imagine Melchers picking up his pen, its nib scratching on the card's surface, thoughts and feelings taking shape in looping script. The ink, probably a deep black, flows, creating lines that vary in thickness and pressure. What was on his mind as he penned his words? I see a dialogue here, not just between Melchers and Zilcken, but with art history, with the very act of communication. The stamp, a small, square emblem, anchors the card to a specific time and place, like a tiny painting within a painting. It’s this exchange, this conversation across time, that I find so thrilling, and I hope you do too.