Brief aan Emile Ernest Bernard en Héloïse Bernard-Bodin Possibly 1895

This letter to Emile Ernest Bernard and Héloïse Bernard-Bodin was written by Emile Bernard in 1875, in pen on paper. We can think about paper as an industrial material, even then, made in factories, pulped and pressed. The hand wrought aspect comes in the application of the ink. The artist's chosen implement, most likely a quill or dip pen, required a practiced hand and careful control to achieve the desired effect. The act of writing itself, pressing the nib to paper and forming each letter, is a kind of performance, imbuing the surface with the artist's thoughts and emotions. The materiality of the ink, its viscosity and interaction with the paper fibers, creates subtle variations in line weight and texture, adding depth and character to the writing. Consider also the labor involved, the time taken to form each word, each sentence, and how this relates to the content of the letter itself. It’s a very different proposition than today’s emails and texts. This object invites us to reflect on the intersection of material, process, and human expression.