Brief aan Héloïse Bernard-Bodin 1878 - 1941

This is a letter written in 1896 by Emile Bernard, penned with ink on paper. The density of the writing creates a textured surface. The strokes lean to the right, the ascenders stretching upward optimistically, but they are tightly packed, like soil compacted by time. The ink varies in tone from a deep purple to brown, giving the impression of layers and depth, as though the letters were themselves sediment. Look at the loops in the 'l's and 'b's – they are not perfectly formed, each one has its own individual character. And see how the serifs are almost playful, adding an unexpected lightness. It reminds me a little of Cy Twombly, not in style, but in the sense of creating an intimate, gestural world using text and mark-making, each artist building their own kind of visual poem. It's art that embraces the imperfect, the handwritten, the deeply personal.