Brief aan Françoise W.M. Bonger Possibly 1965

This is a letter written by Zaki El-Hakim to Françoise W.M. Bonger on May 13, 1965. The letter is a formal note written in French, expressing El-Hakim’s anticipation to view Bonger's collection of paintings and drawings by Émile Bernard. The gesture of the letter reveals much about the cultural and social dynamics within the art world at this time. Françoise Bonger was the widow of Theo van Gogh, and therefore the sister-in-law of Vincent van Gogh, making her an important figure within art historical circles. El-Hakim, presumably writing from a position of relative distance or perhaps as an emerging artist, seeks access to her collection, pointing to the established power structures within the art world and the importance of personal connections in accessing art and knowledge. The delicate dance of formality and desire to engage with art speaks to how social and cultural capital are negotiated through art.