Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1898

This is a letter to Philip Zilcken, written by Baronne Madeleine Deslandes, sometime around the turn of the 20th century. Epistolary correspondence such as this tells us much about the social networks that helped artists like Deslandes, who was well-connected within Parisian society. Deslandes’s letter participates in a larger history of aristocratic women who played a significant role in the cultural life of France, often behind the scenes. We can examine this letter as both a personal communication and a cultural artifact, revealing the social conditions that shaped artistic production during this period. What were the expectations for women artists from privileged backgrounds, and how did they navigate those expectations in their professional lives? What access did Deslandes have to publishing opportunities for her “livre,” or book? Further archival research into Deslandes's personal papers and correspondence might reveal much about the institutional and social forces that defined her career.