Brief aan Andries Bonger before 1898

This letter was written by Emile Bernard, a French Post-Impressionist painter, with ink on paper. It is a highly personal object. The act of writing itself is a symbolic gesture, a transmission of thoughts and emotions across space and time, encapsulated in the very strokes of the pen. Letters, as a medium, have appeared throughout history, functioning as messengers between people and as records of civilizations. Think of the Rosetta Stone, which unlocked the mysteries of hieroglyphs, bearing witness to a culture’s need to preserve knowledge and communicate across generations. This letter acts as a bridge, connecting Bernard to his confidant, Andries Bonger, across time and space. In a psychoanalytic sense, the letter is a manifestation of desire, a longing for connection. The handwriting itself becomes a subconscious expression of personality, each stroke imbued with the artist's unique emotional and psychological state. It highlights the non-linear progression of thought and the human need for understanding. It serves as a reminder of the power of symbols to transcend their literal forms, carrying profound emotional and cultural weight.