Brief aan Françoise W.M. Bonger Possibly 1959

This is a letter, written on January 20, 1959, by Charles Chetham. It’s typed, and the evenness of the text speaks to a kind of deliberate process, a searching for the right words that feels almost painterly in its own way. The letter is addressed to Mrs. Bonger, and you can tell straight away that the author is in deep, researching Van Gogh. There’s something very tactile about the way Chetham describes prints, engravings, and drawing books—things you want to touch, to turn over in your hands. He is trying to locate portions of the group of prints, engravings, and drawing books which Vincent van Gogh collected. There’s a real sense of connection across time here. Like, this American student is touching the same things Van Gogh once did. To me, that’s what art history is all about—the conversation that spans decades, even centuries. It reminds me of the letters between Van Gogh and his brother, Theo. This piece, like those, highlights how art isn’t just about the final product, but the whole exchange of ideas. It makes you think about influence.