Brief aan Philip Zilcken 1897

Cornelia van der Hart penned this letter to Philip Zilcken, likely around the turn of the 20th century, a time of significant cultural exchange and colonial politics. Van der Hart, a woman artist navigating a male-dominated art world, engages here with the complexities of Dutch colonial exhibitions. The letter hints at a tension, perhaps a critique, around how "Indische kunstnijverheid" or Dutch East Indies arts and crafts are being presented. She notes that it sits ‘in het kroningssaar’ (in the coronation year). Is it to wait on some people who are now traveling? Van der Hart worries that the exhibitions will damage each other, while revealing a perspective of artistic and cultural representation deeply entwined with the politics of the Dutch monarchy and its colonial ventures. The emotional undertone of the letter—the polite yet pointed critique—suggests a woman keenly aware of the power dynamics at play in the art world and the broader colonial context. It subtly challenges the romanticized or exploitative portrayals of colonial artistry.