Aantekening uit archief Philip Zilcken 1867 - 1930

This is a page from Philip Zilcken's archive, an undated work comprised of ink on paper, now held in the Rijksmuseum. At first glance, we're confronted with a seemingly random series of numbers and notations, organized into a table-like structure. The composition is dominated by the contrast between the crisp, dark lines of the ink and the aged, off-white paper. The texture is smooth, save for the slight undulations of the paper and the varying thickness of the handwritten strokes. But what does it mean? The table's columns – labeled with headings like "Title", "Number", "State", and "Proof" – suggest a system, a cataloging of sorts. Each entry, with its unique set of numbers and annotations, points to an attempt at order. The numbers themselves take on a semiotic function, acting as codes that signify something beyond their numerical value. The table is not just a visual artifact but a container of information waiting to be decoded. Look at the precision of the handwriting, the way each number is carefully formed. This attention to detail highlights the artist's attempt to impose a structured order onto the world. It is the formal qualities of line and composition that reveal the underlying structural intentions of Zilcken's work.