Brief aan Héloïse Bernard-Bodin Possibly 1894

This is Emile Bernard’s handwritten letter "Brief aan Héloïse Bernard-Bodin" from 1894. The overall impression is one of intimacy combined with visible emotion. The page is filled edge to edge with cursive script, the writing dense, immediate and personal. Look closely, and you'll notice the way the words crowd each other, some tilting this way and that as if compelled by the urgency of the message. The letter is not just a means of communication but also an artifact that captures the artist’s emotional state. The lack of carefully ruled lines gives the impression of a mind pouring its thoughts onto the page without restraint. Consider how the visible corrections—the scratched-out words, the ink blots—reveal the writer's process. These are not imperfections but integral parts of the letter’s meaning, showing us the unedited thoughts and feelings of Bernard as he grapples with loss and despair. The letter is not just about its content but also about the act of writing itself, a form of emotional expression through the physical traces left on the page.