Prentbriefkaart aan Andries Bonger before 1908

This is Emile Bernard's postcard to Andries Bonger, penned in 1908, its surface a canvas of hurried, grey-inked script. The handwriting, dense and looping, speaks to art-making as a process of layering and accumulation, like the building up of paint on a canvas. Look at how the ink bleeds slightly into the paper, each stroke a physical gesture, permanent and unrevisable. There's a sense of immediacy here, a direct connection between the hand, the ink, and the paper, reflecting a kind of lived experience. See how the stamps are smudged, blurred? These marks and cancellations show the journey of the card itself. This piece reminds me of Cy Twombly, both of whom share an interest in the raw energy of line, the beauty of imperfection, and the idea that art can be a form of personal communication. It reminds us that art is less about perfect answers, and more about embracing the messy, ongoing conversation of life.