Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1903 - 1921

Editor: Here we have Carel Nicolaas Storm van 's-Gravesande's "Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken," likely created sometime between 1903 and 1921. It’s a drawing in ink on paper and currently resides at the Rijksmuseum. I'm struck by the elegance of the handwriting – almost like a piece of art itself. What stands out to you when you look at this, Professor? Curator: Elegance is the perfect word! It’s as if we're peering into a different era, don’t you think? When sending a simple postcard still held a certain… ritualistic charm. The calligraphy is like a little dance across the paper. It tells us so much about the sender's care, and their social standing probably. Do you find yourself imagining the person on the receiving end of this card? Editor: Absolutely! I wonder what news was important enough to send via postcard. Given it's addressed to a "Monsieur," I imagine there was some kind of personal connection there. Also, what do you make of the postal markings and official stamps, almost like little emblems? Curator: Those marks are their own kind of story, a miniature history of the journey it took! Each cancellation, each little stamp, whispers of place and time. Look closely and maybe imagine someone at the post office handling it with gloves – well, maybe not! And that royal crest... what kind of message do you think it gave to the receiver? A personal message wrapped in officialdom – intriguing. Editor: I never thought about it like that. It makes you wonder how something so mundane as a postcard could hold such rich social and personal information. I might actually start writing postcards again. Curator: Exactly! It's more than just ink on paper. It's a captured moment, a fleeting thought made tangible, even poignant, after all this time. It really brings us back to human connection.