Brief aan Andries Bonger before 1896

Emile Bernard crafted this handwritten letter to Andries Bonger with ink on paper, its script a direct expression of thought. The visual experience is dominated by the dance of lines forming words, a composition that reflects the intimacy and immediacy of personal correspondence. The off-white paper provides a subtle backdrop, allowing the dark ink to take centre stage. The letter is a semiotic system; its linguistic signs intertwined with cultural codes. Bernard’s handwriting, with its unique curves and pressures, acts as an index of his presence and emotional state. The structure of language itself plays with absence and presence; it conveys meaning through what is said and what remains unsaid. The handwritten form underscores a connection to a specific moment and place, resisting the depersonalization inherent in print. Consider how Bernard uses the inherent qualities of his medium to reinforce communication, transforming a simple note into an intimate exchange.