Brief aan Andries Bonger Possibly 1898

Curator: Here we have a handwritten letter, entitled "Brief aan Andries Bonger", possibly from 1898, by the artist Émile Bernard. It’s ink on paper. Editor: It has an intimate and almost vulnerable feel, doesn’t it? The cursive script gives a strong sense of personality. The content appears personal, too. I notice the phrase “Chers amis”, marking that strong sense of emotional intent. Curator: Indeed. Bernard’s relationships were often intense, turbulent even. Considering its period, we should think about the letter’s function: how did one convey intimacy over distances at this moment? What socioeconomic factors dictate the choice of communication: a handwritten note as opposed to seeing someone in person. Editor: Yes, that makes me think about what it is to write “Chers amis” across that blank expanse of paper and send it off in search of connection—especially when considering symbolist conventions which were pervasive at this time, there is also a very direct element of interpersonal, and I'm drawn to the emotional power of the salutation. Letters become stand-ins. Ritualized marks and images function to ensure ties remain strong—even though in that case those relationships proved difficult in his life. Curator: The letter provides glimpses into his life: familial updates and concerns. Knowing that Bernard saw himself in opposition to Van Gogh and others certainly frames a lot of his written tone here in particular. How might we interpret this expression, knowing Bernard's self-conception as separate from other artists, even those he corresponded with. The pen-ink aesthetic adds something vital. The artist hand isn't mediated through machinery. Editor: Right, the pen and ink here as primary technology—connecting his hand to our sight directly. I would expect a direct link back to old traditions from illuminated manuscripts too: we get the emotional feeling there that personal connection through that medium might facilitate strong, reliable connections, even where Bernard writes that he wonders at "de votre si long silence", which marks a painful and ambivalent distance, not easily reconciled. Curator: It really does underline those human concerns in what is normally an historical text; Bernard makes it known his family continues always thinking and is eager to create lasting friendships beyond his time—in his hope of seeing it preserved over time is still so touching even for us centuries later. Editor: It feels like holding a whisper across time.