Briefkaart aan Willem Bogtman before 1925

This is a postcard sent to Willem Bogtman by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst, likely in 1925, judging from the postmark. The card itself, made of simple paper stock, speaks volumes about the democratisation of communication in the early 20th century. Unlike hand-delivered letters reserved for the wealthy, postcards relied on mass production and a postal system accessible to almost everyone. The handwritten message and address connect us to the individuals involved, while the printed name and address of Holst locates him as part of a professional class. The postal stamps themselves are a fascinating detail. Their design, production, and distribution relied on a vast network of labor, from the artists who created the image to the postal workers who delivered it. The postcard, in its humble materiality, reminds us that art and communication are always embedded in broader social and economic systems. It challenges the notion of art as purely aesthetic, drawing our attention to the labor, politics, and consumption that shape our everyday lives.