Brief aan Héloïse Bernard-Bodin 1878 - 1941

Emile Bernard wrote this letter, entitled "Brief aan Héloïse Bernard-Bodin," in either 1894 or 1895. I love how informal this piece is; it’s a glimpse into an intimate moment of communication. The texture of the page itself is so palpable, like you could run your fingers across it. Bernard’s handwriting, in dark ink, creates a landscape of form. The marks aren’t perfectly uniform; there’s a natural rhythm, with some areas more densely packed than others, giving the composition a kind of organic variation. Look at the way the lines of text sometimes overlap or crowd together. There’s a sense of urgency or immediacy. The whole thing has a wonderfully intimate quality, like we’re eavesdropping on a private conversation. Bernard reminds me a little of Cy Twombly, whose mark-making also had that quality of handwritten intimacy and spontaneous composition. In both cases, art becomes a vehicle for personal expression.