Brief aan Andries Bonger Possibly 1913

This letter was written by Emile Bernard on paper in 1913 to Andries Bonger. The very act of writing this letter is one of skilled labor. Its contents and its very existence are important for thinking about the social context of artistic creation in the early 20th century. The paper itself is thin, its color pale, suggesting the relatively low cost of the materials. Bernard used ink to create the marks that form the script. You can see the traces of Bernard’s hand and the pressure he applied. He penned his thoughts and sent them off to Bonger. The fact that a handwritten letter can be considered an artwork at all invites us to consider how labor, the personal touch, and communication itself can be elevated to an art form. It challenges the traditional distinctions between fine art and everyday craft. It encourages us to value the often-unseen efforts that underpin cultural exchange and artistic inspiration.