Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken before 1893

This briefkaart, or postcard, was sent to Philip Zilcken by Marinus van der Maarel. It’s made with industrially produced paper stock and commercial printing processes, signifying the rise of mass communication in the late 19th century. The card's surface bears the marks of its journey: a postmark, address, and possibly a brief message. Look closely and you can trace the hand-written text. The texture of the paper itself, once smooth, now carries the imprint of handling, postage stamps, and the machinery of the postal system. There is a stamp of a lion underneath a crown. The postcard aesthetic, cheap, and broadly distributed, blurred the lines between personal correspondence and public art. It also reflects changing patterns of leisure and consumption. The ease of sending and receiving images and messages democratized access to visual culture, although these were still bound by the mechanics of global production. Thinking about this postcard reminds us that even the most ephemeral and seemingly simple objects are embedded in complex networks of labor, technology, and exchange. It is a powerful reminder that craft, design, and art are always interconnected.