Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken before 1911

This postcard was sent by Sientje Mesdag-van Houten to Philip Zilcken. It’s an everyday object, a means of communication, but also a snapshot of a moment in time. The surface is layered with marks of postal life; the crisp printed text sits alongside the handwriting and the faded green of the postage stamp. The stamp itself is more than just a mark of transit, it’s a tiny vignette, a fragment of Dutch identity from a bygone era. It's fascinating how something so functional can become a little piece of art. The handwriting, elegant and flowing, tells its own story. The ink bleeds slightly into the paper, softening the lines. I love how the imperfection of the handwriting makes it so personal, so human. It reminds me that art, like life, is not about perfection, but about expression. Looking at this postcard reminds me of the work of Cy Twombly, whose scrawled, poetic marks are like messages from another world. Art, after all, is a conversation across time, an exchange of ideas and emotions that transcends the boundaries of language and culture.