Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1891

This postcard was created in the Netherlands in 1891 by the artist Eduard Karsen, seemingly as a correspondence to Philip Zilcken. But what can a humble postcard tell us about the relationship between art and society? The Netherlands in the late 19th century was a society undergoing rapid modernization, with the art world navigating its own path between tradition and innovation. Institutions such as the Pulchri Studio in The Hague played a crucial role in shaping artistic taste and professional networks. Artists like Karsen were active in these circles, exhibiting their work and engaging in debates about the future of Dutch art. The act of sending a postcard connects to a wider culture of communication and exchange. To understand this image better, we might delve into the archives of the Pulchri Studio. We could look at exhibition catalogues and correspondence between artists, critics, and collectors. This would reveal the social and institutional context in which Karsen's art was produced and consumed. Such research reminds us that art is never made in a vacuum. It is always enmeshed in a web of social relations, cultural values, and institutional structures.