Briefkaart aan jonkheer Hendrik Teding van Berkhout (1879-1969) before 1932

This is a postcard to jonkheer Hendrik Teding van Berkhout by Bernard Essers. I love how this piece hasn’t been pinned down to a specific date. It gives it a kind of floating, ethereal quality, like it could have been made at any time. Looking at the handwritten list, I imagine Essers in his studio, surrounded by prints, meticulously documenting each one with practiced gestures. He’s probably wearing an old, paint-stained smock, totally absorbed in the tactile process of marking and recording. What's so wonderful is how the act of cataloging becomes an extension of the artistic process. The handwritten notes evoke a sense of intimacy and immediacy. The writing dances across the page, each stroke a trace of his hand, his thoughts. He could be any artist, like me, scribbling notes, grappling with the chaos of creation, and trying to make sense of it all. We are all in conversation, trying to find our own way.