Brief aan Emile Ernest Bernard Possibly 1898

Curator: This is a letter, believed to have been written in 1898, simply titled, "Brief aan Emile Ernest Bernard". It’s a drawing on paper, utilizing ink as its medium. Editor: It has an intensely personal feel to it—I’m immediately drawn in by the handwriting, it’s as though I have inadvertently picked up a private thought. Curator: The context surrounding letters like this one, is that they weren't conceived of as ‘art objects,’ but everyday materials of artistic labour—so to see such personal items elevated, can really challenge conceptions of art, labor and material consumption. Editor: Absolutely. The “art” here becomes the revealed intimacy of the scrawled text, the pressure and release of the hand…you sense the artist's immediacy and purpose so viscerally, with only the barest materials. I imagine how much more powerful to actually hold this. Curator: And think about the societal backdrop! This intimacy offered a stark contrast to the rise of industrial modes of textual reproduction during this era. The handwriting defies mass standardization. Editor: You are right—the script practically dances on the page; there’s a freedom there, it’s incredibly beautiful, a moment frozen in time, connecting us directly to a particular artist with his concerns regarding painting and family... There’s something melancholic in the controlled strokes that make up the form. Curator: These letters reveal insights to artistic practices, they serve as essential artifacts of both individual production and exchange, as well as creative community during a specific period of art history. Editor: It strikes me how complete the work feels even in this unfinished state. There’s something vulnerable about it. What a privilege to have this artifact in our presence today. Curator: Indeed, we are reminded of the human effort, the hand that formed these lines, and also to see it for ourselves, is very fortunate!