Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1902 - 1918

Editor: Here we have "Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken," possibly from between 1902 and 1918, by Anton L. Koster. It’s ink and pen on paper, essentially a drawn postcard. It has an understated charm, something delicate about the penmanship and composition. What draws your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: Oh, this little thing sings to me of quiet afternoons, the kind where ink bleeds a little on the paper and thoughts meander as much as the handwriting. I think the constraints of the postcard format – both physical and social – almost force an intimacy. It’s like a tiny window into another world, isn't it? I wonder about Philip Zilcken. What kind of person was he? And Hélène Filla, whose name is also penned on the card… were they connected somehow? It almost doesn't matter, because the uncertainty *is* the appeal, you know? Editor: That makes sense. The messiness adds character. The controlled squiggles from the pen creates this raw imperfection that makes it all the more human. What would you call this from a formal perspective? Is it Expressionist? Curator: Good question. I think it has shades of that intimate, almost diary-like impulse you find in some expressionist drawings, but I see more of a restrained intimacy here. There’s care in the handwriting and a certain formality, even in the informality. Also, don't get hung up on labels – just bask in the whispers it has to offer. Editor: Whispers indeed. I definitely understand and appreciate the delicate intimacy this medium can produce. Curator: Right? I like that—a whisper that history somehow preserved.