Prentbriefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1911 - 1914

This postcard was made by Alphonse Stengelin, and features lots of looping cursive, all tilting and leaning, like dancers on a crowded floor! It reminds me of a Cy Twombly painting, except with words instead of scribbles. Imagine Stengelin, pen in hand, carefully crafting each letter, then letting loose with a flurry of words. What was he thinking? Was he in a hurry, or savoring each moment? The ink flows thick and fast, like the rhythm of a heartbeat, or the changing currents of a river. There is an urgency here, a desire to communicate, a kind of expression. Look at the way certain words are emphasized with extra pressure, a darker stroke – a sign that, as with painting, the hand can communicate emotion, even meaning. And, like a painting, this postcard invites us to pause, to decipher, and to reflect. It is a glimpse into the past, but also a reminder that all artists engage in a conversation across time, inspiring one another's creativity.