Prentbriefkaart aan Andries Bonger before 1908

This postcard was written by Emile Bernard in 1908 using ink on paper. Just looking at the loops and the lines of the handwriting, I can imagine Bernard hunched over a desk in a dim room somewhere, carefully forming each letter with a scratchy pen, pausing to consider what to say next. Was he in a hurry to get this in the mail, or did he labor over each word, crafting the perfect note to his friend Andries? It’s so interesting to read the history of art through its letters and notes; a snapshot of an artist's thoughts and feelings in a particular moment. Think of the letters between Van Gogh and his brother Theo! Artists are always in conversation with each other, trading ideas and influencing each other’s work across generations. In the end, it’s all about connection and communication, reaching out across time and space to share something of ourselves with others.