Briefkaart aan Andries Bonger before 1907

Emile Bernard made this postcard to Andries Bonger at an unknown date with pen and ink, and you can see the way the ink sits on the paper, how he really gets a rhythm going. The dense, almost frantic writing creates a kind of texture, like a field of tiny marks all vying for attention. Look at the ‘B’ in Bernard’s signature at the bottom – see how the line loops and almost closes in on itself? It’s a confident gesture, but also a little bit hesitant, as if he’s circling back to make sure he's said everything he wanted to say. The ink itself seems to vary in tone, depending on the pressure and speed of his hand, which gives the surface a kind of topographical feel. You can almost imagine the movement of his hand across the page. Bernard’s friend Vincent Van Gogh also used writing as a means of connecting with the world. Both artists shared a sensibility towards expressive mark-making. Art, you know, is just one long conversation, right?