Concetbrief aan jonkvrouw Elisabeth Wilhelmina Malwina de Brauw after 1931

This handwritten letter, probably written with a fountain pen, feels so personal, like eavesdropping on a conversation! Imagine Andries Bonger, hunched over a desk, the nib of his pen scratching across the page. You can almost see him pausing, considering each word, each loop and flourish of his cursive. What was he thinking as he wrote to Elisabeth Wilhelmina Malwina de Brauw? You can sense a real connection, a desire to communicate something important. He's talking about family matters, and travel plans to Italy. Maybe they were fellow artists or intellectuals sharing thoughts and news. There’s a real tactile quality to the letter; the ink bleeds slightly in places, and the pressure of the pen varies, giving the writing a rhythmic quality. It reminds me of Cy Twombly's scribbled paintings – lines full of energy and feeling, even if you can't quite decipher them. Bonger has opened up a space of imagination around the page, and he's inviting her, and us, in.