Brief aan Philip Zilcken 1867 - 1930

This letter to Philip Zilcken was composed by Maurits van der Valk in Amsterdam, and it resides here at the Rijksmuseum. What might a simple note reveal about the conditions that shape artistic production? At first glance, the letter seems unremarkable. Yet, it's survival speaks to the importance of correspondence and the exchange of ideas that fueled the art world of the Netherlands at the turn of the century. Zilcken was a prominent painter, printmaker, and art critic, and this letter gives us a glimpse into his social network and the artistic circles in which he moved. By studying archival materials like this letter, in conjunction with period publications and institutional records, we can begin to understand the complex web of relationships that supported and influenced the art of Van der Valk and his contemporaries. The meaning of art, it turns out, is always contingent on its social and institutional context.