Brief aan Andries Bonger after 1891

This is Emile Bernard’s handwritten letter to Andries Bonger. The writing, in a sepia ink, fills the page in a dense, almost chaotic arrangement. The lines of script run close together, creating a textured surface that is as much visual as it is textual. The formal qualities of the script are striking. Bernard’s handwriting, elegant yet hurried, dances across the page. The letters lean and curve, forming a rhythm of ascenders and descenders that create their own visual pattern. The lack of spacing and the overlapping of words challenge conventional legibility. The letter transcends its function as a simple message. It becomes a field of signs, where the act of writing and the materiality of the ink and paper create a unique form of expression. It is an intimate glimpse into the artist’s thought process, blurring the lines between the written word and visual art. As such, the letter destabilizes conventional interpretations of communication.