Brief aan Philip Zilcken 1876 - 1929

Curator: Today we are looking at a drawing by Baronne Madeleine Deslandes titled "Brief aan Philip Zilcken," likely created between 1876 and 1929. It’s crafted with ink and perhaps some pastel on paper. Editor: My immediate impression is one of quiet intimacy. The pale script gives off the feel of a private communication, tinged with vulnerability, like catching a glimpse into someone’s thoughts. Curator: Absolutely, the delicate lines and the sparseness of the composition contribute to this feeling. It's fascinating how the artist utilizes the negative space around the writing to emphasize its fragility. Note also how Deslandes deploys varied strokes in executing letter forms, and how this contributes to a sense of motion and dynamism in what could otherwise be a still representation of static lettering. Editor: Given Deslandes’s biography, I wonder if this "fragile health" described is not also representative of her status in a society that curtailed her autonomy as a woman artist. The act of letter-writing in itself became a space of power, particularly for wealthy or aristocratic women— allowing articulation in an often closed-off environment. I would venture to understand Zilcken's social positioning at this moment, as well, since he was himself a printmaker. What conversations might they have been having? Curator: Your reading through the lens of gender and class offers compelling layers. But it is worth adding how the script’s looping ascenders and descenders create an elegant dance across the page. Also observe the way that Deslandes has deliberately incorporated erasures and reworkings, and consider their expressive impact on the whole. Editor: It's in these details, both structural and social, that the true significance of the work reveals itself. Curator: Indeed. Paying such careful attention allows us a broader understanding and deepens our connection. Editor: Hopefully that gives us a place to reflect, if only for now, on this unique piece.