Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1911 - 1916

This is a postcard, addressed to Philip Zilcken, by Nicolaas van der Waay. Look at the way the ink sits on the card, how the lines vary in thickness, giving the script a real sense of rhythm. It’s so immediate, you can almost feel the pen moving across the surface. The postmarks, with their concentric circles and bold lettering, are like abstract shapes dancing around the edges of the handwritten text. Notice how the ink bleeds slightly into the paper, creating a soft, blurry edge to each character. It’s this kind of detail that makes the piece feel so intimate, like a whisper from the past. You can find similar graphic qualities in the work of artists like Cy Twombly, who also embraced the beauty of imperfection and the power of the handwritten word. Ultimately, a piece like this reminds us that art isn’t just about the grand gesture. Sometimes, it’s the small, everyday things that speak the loudest.