Brief aan jonkheer Hendrik Teding van Berkhout (1879-1969) Possibly 1932

Curator: Here we have "Letter to Jonkheer Hendrik Teding van Berkhout (1879-1969)," quite possibly from 1932, by Jacob Bendien. On first seeing this document, I felt a poignant sense of quiet aspiration. The hopefulness, perhaps naivete, practically floats off the page. Editor: Materially, it is rather prosaic. This looks like a standard piece of paper, doesn't it? The kind readily available. It also has holes punched into the side, maybe a binder kept this together with others. Curator: Exactly! It's precisely that contrast which I find so touching. This seemingly ordinary letter, presented on humble paper, contains Bendien’s yearning. His pursuit of something… grander. It also offers a candid, intimate peek into the struggles and dreams of an artist from this era. Editor: I agree. The letter form itself and even its typeface are standardized; the paper size looks like what businesses and museums use for administrative needs. Looking closer, you see him trying to ingratiate himself to the Rijksmuseum, trying to offer eleven drawings and three lithographs at half price. How the sausage gets made! Curator: And yet, the way he phrases his intentions—with this gentle offering of "11 drawings and 3 litho’s," almost breathlessly hoping to fulfill his dream—it transcends the mere exchange of art for money. Intimism in visual art seeks such revelation of the human soul! Editor: Interesting. But the materiality points elsewhere for me. I think we have to acknowledge the economic and social context of artistic practice here: Bendien literally addresses questions about price and access. He knows what is happening; the packaging he is using is “primitive,” and this lack of preciousness suggests a need to keep expenses as low as possible while shipping. We have to acknowledge the circumstances around the making and potential exhibition of these drawings, Jacob had to make money from this material or to get recognized by his work in a larger institution to survive, it makes this more realistic. Curator: Well said! This letter bridges commerce and creativity! My takeaway is to recognize those unseen layers, those undercurrents of longing. This document transcends its function, capturing not just ink on paper, but a slice of the artist's soul. Editor: Ultimately, examining its materiality contextualizes that “soul.” Bendien, like many artists, depended on material means and cultural systems to do his best work, even to survive at all. So the letter asks us to really interrogate and honor what we choose to recognize.