Brief aan Philip Zilcken before 1897

This is a letter written by Grada Hermina Marius, its symbols hidden in plain sight: the very act of writing, the script itself, becomes a potent signifier. Consider how handwriting, with its loops, slants, and pressures, is deeply personal, almost a fingerprint of the soul, a visible trace of one's inner self. Even the choice of ink, the quality of paper, each element contributes to the letter’s emotional and psychological depth. We see the human impulse to communicate across the void. The letter bridges the gap between individuals, echoing the ancient desire to transcend space and time through symbols and gestures. Think of Egyptian hieroglyphs, each stroke a sacred mark meant to communicate with the gods and preserve knowledge across millennia, or the medieval illuminated manuscripts where the very act of writing was an act of devotion. The act of writing is a cyclical return to humanity’s foundational need to connect, to express, and to leave its indelible mark on the world.