Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1890 - 1899

This is a postcard to Philip Zilcken, crafted in 1900, and gives us a direct connection to the artist Floris Verster. Made of humble paper, it's surface bears the marks of industrial production; printed text for the address, the monarchical crest and postage stamp. Handwritten in ink, we see Verster's elegant script detailing the recipient's name and address, lending a personal touch to the mass produced form. The card is postmarked from The Hague and affixed with a Dutch stamp, evidence of a complex postal system – and further, the state’s bureaucratic infrastructure. Consider how something as simple as sending correspondence relied upon systems of labor, from the milling of pulp to the printing press and postal workers delivering the card to its destination. Even in this everyday object, we can see the intersection of handcraft, industrial production, and social infrastructure. Analyzing this "minor" art form is key to understanding the wider context in which art is created and circulated.