Brief aan Philip Zilcken 1870 - 1922

This is a letter by Arij Prins, a Dutch artist born in 1860. While the date of this letter is unknown, we can see it as a personal artifact, speaking to the social networks that sustained artistic practice at the time. Letters like this were the glue that held the art world together. Prins writes to Philip Zilcken, another artist, possibly about meeting up. In this intimate communication, we see the informal side of artistic exchange. The art world wasn't just about official institutions like galleries and academies, it was also about personal relationships, friendships, and shared artistic interests. To fully understand this letter, we need to know more about the correspondents and their place in the Dutch art world. Archival research into the letters and papers of artists like Prins can help us understand the social conditions that shaped artistic production. Only then can we appreciate the richness and complexity of the art world beyond the finished artwork.