To Theo Van Gogh. Arles, Tuesday, 18 September 1888

To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Tuesday, 18 September 1888.

Tuesday, 18 September 1888

Metadata

Source status: Original manuscript

Location: Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, inv. nos. b583 a-b V/1962

Date: The letter was written the same day as the previous one to Theo (l. 1*), so we have dated it Tuesday, 18 September 1888. See further the notes to letter 682, Date.

Additional: Original [1r:1] Mon cher Theo, ce matin de bonne heure je tai dej crit1 puis je suis all continuer un tableau de jardin ensoleill.2 Puis je lai rentr et suis ressorti avec une toile blanche et celle l aussi est faite.3 Et maintenant jai encore envie de tecrire encore une fois. Parceque jamais jai eu une telle chance, ici la nature est extraordinairement belle. Tout et partout. La coupole du ciel est dun bleu admirable, le soleil a un rayonnement de souﬀre ple et cest doux et charmant comme la combinaison des bleus celestes et des jaunes dans les Van der Meer de Delft. Je ne peux pas peindre aussi beau que cela mais cela mabsorbe tant, que je me laisse aller sans penser aucune rgle.

1 This was letter 682. 2 Path in the public garden (F 470 / JH 1582); see letter 682. 3 Path in the public garden (F 471 / JH 1613). Van Gogh describes this painting later in the letter.

1 2 To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Tuesday, 18 September 1888.

Cela me fait 3 tableaux des jardins en face de ma maison.4 Puis les deux cafs. 5 Puis les tournesols. 6 Puis le portrait de Bock et le mien. 7 Puis le soleil rouge sur lusine8 et les dchargeurs de sable.9 le vieux moulin. 10 Laissant les autres etudes de ct tu vois quil y a de la besogne de faite.[1v:2] Mais ma couleur, ma toile, ma bourse est epuise aujourdhui completement. Le dernier tableau, fait avec les derniers tubes sur le dernire toile, est un jardin naturellement vert, est peint sans vert proprement dit, rien quavec du bleu de prusse et du jaune de chrome. Je commence me sentir tout autre chse que ce que jtais en venant ici, je ne doute plus, je nhesite plus pour attaquer une chse et cela pourrait bien encore croitre. Mais quelle nature. Cest un jardin public o je suis, tout prs de la rue des bonnes petites femmes, et Mouries par exemple ny entrait guere lorsque pourtant presque journellement nous nous promenions dans ces jardins mais de lautre ct (il y en a 3). 11 Mais tu comprends que juste cela donne un je ne sais quoi de Boccace lendroit.12 Ce ct-l du jardin est dailleurs pour la meme raison de chastete ou de morale, degarni darbustes en ﬂeur tel que le laurier rose. Cest des platanes communs, des sapins en buissons raides, un arbre pleureur et de lherbe verte. Mais cest dune intimit. Il y a des jardins de Monet comme cela.[1v:3] Tant que tu puisses supporter le poids de toute la couleur, de toile, dargent que je suis forc de dpenser, envoie moi toujours. Car ce que je prepare sera mieux que le dernier envoi et je crois que nous y gagnerons au lieu de perdre. Si jarrive toutefois faire un tout qui se tienne. Ce que je cherche.

4 As well as the two works referred to above, Van Gogh had a third painting of the park: The public garden (The poets garden) (F 468 / JH 1578). See letter 681. 5 The night caf (F 463 / JH 1575) and Caf terrace at night (F 467 / JH 1580). 6 Sunflowers in a vase (F 453 / JH 1559), Sunflowers in a vase (F 459 / JH 1560), Sunflowers in a vase (F 456 / JH 1561) and Sunflowers in a vase (F 454 / JH 1562). 7 Eugne Boch (The poet) (F 462 / JH 1574) and Self-portrait (F 476/ JH 1581). 8 This painting of a factory and a red sun is not known; cf. letter 680, n. 10.

9 Quay with sand barges (F 449 / JH 1558). 10 The old mill (F 550 / JH 1577). 11 Rue du Bout dArles ran from the Roubine du Roi Canal to rue des Rcollets; the maisons de tolrance (brothels) were in these two streets. Van Gogh meant the public garden to the south-east of place Lamartine. See letter 604, n. 2, for the other parks. 12 An allusion to Boccaccio13s sensual nature, which Van Gogh had read about in the article Boccace daprs ses oeuvres et les tmoignages contemporains by Cochin14 discussed later in the letter (see n. 15 below). Cochin said, among other things, that the young Boccaccio lived a dissipated life in Naples (p. 377). To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Tuesday, 18 September 1888. 3

Mais est il absolument impossible que Thomas me prte deux ou trois cents francs sur mes tudes? Cela men ferait gagner plus que mille car je ne saurais te le dire assez, je suis ravi ravi ravi de ce que je vois. Et cela vous donne des aspirations dautomne , 15 un enthousiasme qui fait que le temps passe sans quon le sente. Gare au lendemain de fete, aux mistrals dhiver. Aujourdhui tout en travaillant jai beaucoup pens Bernard. Sa lettre est empreinte de vnration pour le talent de Gauguin il dit quil le trouve un si grand artiste quil en a presque peur et quil trouve mauvais tout ce que lui, Bernard, fait en comparaison de Gauguin. Et tu sais que cet hiver Bernard cherchait encore querelle Gauguin. 17 Enfin quoi quil en soit et quoi quil arrive, il est tres consolant que ces artistes-l sont nos amis et jose le croire le resteront nimporte comment tournent les affaires. Jai tant de bonheur avec la maison avec le travail que jose encore croire que les bonheurs ne resteront pas seuls mais que tu les partageras de ton ct en ayant de la veine aussi. Jai lu il y a quelque temps un article sur le Dante, Petrarque, Boccace, Giotto, Botticelli, mon dieu comme cela ma fait de limpression en lisant les lettres de ces gens-l. 20 [1r:4] Or Petrarque etait ici tout prs Avignon27 et je vois les mmes cyprs et lauriers roses. Jai cherch mettre quelque chose de cela dans un des jardins peint en pleine pate jaune citron et vert citron.29 Giotto ma touch le plus toujours souffrant et toujours plein de bont et dardeur comme sil vivait deja dans un monde autre que celui ci.30

15 An allusion to the chapter entitled Les aspirations de lautomne in Michelet16s Lamour ; see letter 14, n. 19.

17 Nothing is known about a quarrel between Bernard18 and Gauguin19 in the winter of 1887-1888. The two artists had not got on well at their first meeting in Pont-Aven in 1886. Bernard wrote about this in 1895: The welcome Mr Gauguin gave me was extremely frosty, and that year there was nothing but the strangest antipathy between us. (Laccueil que me fit M. Gauguin fut un des plus glacs, et cette anne-l il ne se manifesta entre nous que la plus trange antipathie.) See Bernard 1994, vol. 2, p. 71. 20 This is the article by Henry Cochin21 mentioned above, Boccace daprs ses oeuvres et les tmoignages contemporains, Revue des Deux Mondes 58 (15 July 1888), 3rd series, vol. 88, pp. 373-413 (see also letter 665, n. 12). It discusses Boccaccio22s friendship with Francesco Petrarch23 at length. The author quotes from their letters several times. Dante24 is also referred to often in the article; Giotto25 is mentioned twice and Botticelli26 only once (and then very much in passing). Aside from Botticelli whom Van Gogh added later his summing up accords with that on the last page of the article: Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, Giotto, all the men were dead who had, after ten centuries, revived classical Latin glory (Dante, Petrarque, Boccace, Giotto, tous les hommes taient morts, qui avaient, aprs dix sicles, revivifi lantique gloire latine) (p. 413). 27 Petrarch28 spent much of his youth in Avignon, the residence of the popes. After studying in Montpellier and Bologna he returned there and remained for some considerable time. Avignon was important above all as the place where the poet met his muse Laura, on 6 April 1327 in the Church of St Claire. 29 The public garden (The poets garden) (F 468 / JH 1578). 30 Van Gogh based his remark about the sickly Giotto31 on Cochin32s article (Boccace daprs ses oeuvres et les tmoignages contemporains; see n. 15 above); he also referred to the passage in question in letter 665. It reads in full: 4 To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Tuesday, 18 September 1888.

Giotto est extraordinaire dailleurs et je le sens mieux que les poetes, le Dante, Petrarque, Boccace. Il me semble toujours que la poesie est plus terrible que la peinture quoique la peinture soit plus sle et enﬁn plus emmerdante. Et le peintre en somme ne dit rien, il se tait et je prfre encore cela. Mon cher Theo lorsque tu auras vu les cyprs, les laurier roses, le soleil dici et ce jour-l viendra, sois tranquille. Encore plus souvent tu penseras aux beaux Puvis de Chavannes, Doux pays 33 et tant dautres. A travers le ct Tartarin35 et le ct Daumier du pays si drole o les bonnes gens ont laccent que tu sais, il y a tant de Grec dj et il y a la Venus dArles37 comme celle de Lesbos38 et on sent encore cette jeunesse-l malgr tout. Je nen doute pas le moins du monde quun jour toi aussi tu connaitras le midi. Tu iras peut etre voir Claude Monet quant il est Antibes39 ou enﬁn tu trouveras une occasion. Quand il fait du mistral cest pourtant juste le contraire dun doux pays ici car le mistral est dun agaant. Mais quelle revanche, quelle revanche lorsquil y a un jour sans vent. Quelle intensit des couleurs, quel air pur, quelle vibration sereine.[2r:5] Demain je vais dessiner jusqu ce quarrive la couleur.41 Mais jy suis arriv maintenant de parti pris de ne plus dessiner un tableau au fusain. Cela ne sert rien, il faut attaquer le dessin avec la couleur

Giotto, ugly and sickly but radiating natural genius, was painting scenes from the Divine Comedy at the Chteau de lOeuf. The king, full of respect and admiration, spent his days with the painter, delighting in the brazen charm of his Florentine speech and putting up with the most caustic witticisms from him. He heaped honours on him and wanted to keep him in Naples and make him the first man of his kingdom. (Giotto, laid et chtif, mais rayonnant de gnie naturel, peignait au chteau de lOEuf des scnes de la Divine Comdie. Et le roi, plein de respect et dadmiration, passait ses journes auprs du peintre, prenant plaisir la grce hardie de son language florentin, souffrant de lui les saillies les plus mordantes, le comblant dhonneurs, voulant le retenir Naples et en faire le premier homme de son royaume.) (p. 378). 33 Pierre Puvis de Chavannes34, Pleasant land, c. 1882 (New Haven, Yale University Art Gallery, Mary Gertrude Abbey Fund) had been on show at the Puvis de Chavannes retrospective at Durand-Ruels in Paris from 20 November-20 December 1887 (cat. no. 83). Ill. 314. 35 The character of Tartarin in Daudet36s eponymous novels, Tartarin sur les Alpes and Tartarin de Tarascon , which are set in the south of France. See letter 583, n. 9.

37 The marble statue Venus of Arles is a Roman copy of an Aphrodite by Praxiteles from the end of the ﬁrst century BC (Paris, Muse du Louvre). Cf. Baedeker 1889-2, p. 211. It was excavated in the Thtre Antique in Arles in 1651 and given to Louis xiv for his palace at Versailles in 1684. The sculptor Franois Girardon restored the statue, adding arms and placing an apple in the goddesss hand. The version Van Gogh saw in Arles is an early nineteenth-century plaster copy of the statue as restored by Girardon. Ill. 2246 (Muse de lArles antique, Documentation). 38 Van Gogh was probably mistaken in the place name and meant the Venus de Milo (Melos) in the Louvre, from the ﬁrst century BC, attributed to Alexandros of Antioch. Ill. 2248. Van Gogh might conceivably also be referring to the only other statue of Venus on display in the museum in Arles at the time: Head of a Goddess (Venus?). (Muse de lArles antique, Documentation). 39 Monet40 had painted landscapes in Antibes in the spring of 1888 and Theo had exhibited some of them; see letter 625, n. 5.

41 This would be the paint he had ordered in letter 677. To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Tuesday, 18 September 1888. 5 meme pour bien dessiner. Ah lexposition la revue independante42 bon mais une fois pour toutes nous sommes trop fumeurs pour mettre le cigare dans la bouche du mauvais ct.43 Nous serons obligs de chercher vendre pour pouvoir refaire mieux les memes choses vendues, cela cest parceque nous sommes dans un mauvais metier mais cherchons autre chose que la joie de rue qui est douleur de maison.45 Cet aprs midi jai eu un public choisi..... de 4 ou 5 maquereaux et une douzaine de gamins qui trouvaient surtout interessant de voir la couleur sortir des tubes. Eh bien ce public-l cest la gloire ou plutt jai la ferme intention de me moquer de lambition et de la gloire comme de ces gamins-l et de ces voyous des bords du Rhne et de la Rue du Bout dArles. Jai t aujourdhui chez Milliet, il va venir demain ayant prolong son sejour de 4 jours. Je voudrais que Bernard aille faire son service en Afrique car l il ferait de belles choses et je ne sais encore que lui dire. Il a dit quil me ferait lchange de son portrait pour une tude de moi. Mais il a dit quil nose pas faire Gauguin comme je le lui avais demand parcequil se sent trop timide devant Gauguin.47 Bernard est au fond un tel temperament!! il est quelquefois fou et mchant mais certes ce nest pas moi qui aie le droit de lui reprocher cela parceque je connais trop moi-meme la mme nvrose et je sais que lui ne me reprocherait pas non plus. Sil allait en Afrique chez Milliet, Milliet le prendrait certes en amiti. Car Milliet est tres ﬁdle comme ami et fait si facilement lamour quil mprise lamour presque. [2v:6] Que fait Seurat. Je noserais pas lui montrer les etudes deja envoyes mais celles des tournesols et des cabarets et des jardins je voudrais quil les voie je rﬂechis souvent son systeme et toutefois je ne le suivrai pas du tout mais lui est coloriste original et cest la meme chose pour Signac mais un autre degr, les pointilleurs ont trouv du neuf et je les aime tout de mme bien. Mais moi je le dis franchement je reviens plutt ce que je cherchais avant de venir Paris et je ne sais si quelquun

42 Theo had suggested that Vincent might exhibit at La Revue Indpendante: see letter 677, n. 16.

43 See letter 673, n. 6, for this reference to Daudet44s Limmortel . 45 This proverb occurs in Daudet46s Numa Roumestan . The novel, which Van Gogh had read in 1884 (see letter 439, n. 4), ends with a lengthy passage about the Provencal saying Gau de carriero, doulou dostau (Joie de rue, douleur de maison), which is also the last sentence of the book. 47 Van Gogh had received a letter from Bernard48 the previous day; see letter 682. 6 To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Tuesday, 18 September 1888. avant moi aie parl de couleur suggestive. Mais Delacroix et Monticelli tout en nen ayant pas parl lont faite. Mais moi je suis encore comme jetais Nunen lorsque jai fait un vain eﬀort pour apprendre la musique alors dj tellement je sentais les rapports quil y a entre notre couleur et la musique de Wagner.49 Maintenant il est vrai, je vois dans limpressionisme la rsurrection de Eugne Delacroix mais les interpretations tant et divergeantes et un peu irreconciliables ce ne sera pas encore limpressionisme qui formulera la doctrine. Cest pour cela que je reste moi dans les impressionistes parceque cela ne dit rien et nengage rien. et je nai pas, l– dedans en copain, me formuler. Mon dieu il faut faire la bte dans la vie, je demande moi du temps pour etudier et toi, est ce que tu demandes autre chse que cela. Mais je sens que toi tu dois comme moi aimer avoir la tranquilit ncessaire pour etudier sans parti pris.[2v:7] Et je crains tant de te lter par mes demandes dargent. Pourtant je calcule tant et aujourdhui encore je trouvais que pour les dix mtres de toile javais calcul juste toutes les couleurs sauf une seule, la fondamentale du jaune. Si toutes mes couleurs ﬁnissent en mme temps nest ce pas l une preuve que je sens en somnambule les proportions relatives. Cest comme pour le dessin, je ne mesure presque pas et en cela je suis bien categoriquement oppos Cormon qui dit que sil ne mesurait pas il dessinerait comme un cochon. Je pense que tu as tout de mme bien fait dacheter tant de chassis car il faut en avoir un certain nombre pour pouvoir bien secher les toiles ce qui est leur conservation et moi-mme jen ai un tas ici aussi. Mais il ne faut pas te gner pour en ter des chassis pour que le tout ne prenne pas trop de place. Je paye moi ici les chassis de 30, 25, 20, raison de fr. 1.50 et les 15, 12, 10, 1 franc.

49 In 1912, in the magazine De Amsterdammer, Anton Kerssemakers50 recalled: He was always comparing painting with music, and so as to get a better understanding of the gradation of tones, he started to take piano lessons with an old music teacher, who was also an organist, in E[indhoven]. This didnt last long, though, because during the lessons Van Gogh kept comparing the notes of the piano with Prussian blue and dark green or dark ochre to bright cadmium, and so the poor man thought he must be dealing with a madman and became so afraid of him that he stopped the lessons. Quoted in Verzamelde brieven 1973, vol. 3, p. 95. The music teacher was Hein van der Zande (1820-1903), according to Dimmen Gestel51 in Het Eindhovensch Dagblad, 10 October 1930. Charles Blanc52 had written in Les artistes de mon temps : Colour can be learned like music (Le coloris sapprend comme la musique). See Blanc 1876, p. 62. To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Tuesday, 18 September 1888. 7

Si je les fais faire par le menuisier. 53 La menuiserie etant fort chre ici, Tanguy en les comptant ce prix-l doit pouvoir les livrer aussi. Je cherche un cadre pour la toile de 30 carre en noyer lger 5 francs et je pense que je laurai. Le cadre en chne lourd pour la toile de 10, portrait, me cote 5 francs aussi.54 Jai encore d commander 5 chassis de 30 pour la nouvelle toile55 qui sont dj faites et que je dois prendre. cela te prouvera que je ne peux pas tre sans quelque argent cette epoque de travail. [2r:8] Il y a une consolation que nous sommes dans les matieres premieres toujours et ne speculons pas mais ne cherchons qu produire.56 Et alors nous ne pouvons mal tourner. Jespre que cela sera comme cela et si je suis dans la necessit fatale duser et ma couleur et ma toile et mon portemonaie saches bien que ce nest pas encore par l que nous puissions perir. Meme si de ton ct si tu uses ton portemonnaie et ce quil y a dedans cest certes mauvais mais dis moi tranquillement: il ny en a plus, alors il y en aura encore par ce que jaurai fait avec. Mais me diras tu comme de juste en attendant? En attendant je ferai du dessin car cest plus commode de ne faire que dessiner que de peindre. Je te serre bien la main. Quelles journees que celles ci, non pas par les evenements58 mais je sens tellement que toi comme moi nous ne sommes pas de la decadence ni des ﬁnis encore et ne le serons pas dans la suite. Mais tu sais je ne contredis pas aux critiques qui diront que mes tableaux ne sont pas ﬁnis.59 Je te serre la main et bientot. t. t. Vincent

53 Lindicateur marseillais 1888 lists 23 carpenters (menuisiers); we do not know who Van Gogh got to make his stretching frames. 54 By the square no. 30 canvas and the no. 10 canvas, portrait Van Gogh is referring in general to the canvas sizes for which he was seeking frames, although he did already have specific works in mind: The public garden (The poets garden) (F 468 / JH 1578), which he sent to Theo in a walnut frame in May 1889 (see letter 777), and Eugne Boch (The poet) (F 462 / JH 1574), which he planned to hang in his bedroom (see letter 693). 55 Van Gogh had ordered 5 metres of canvas in letter 680; in letter 687 he confirmed that he had received it. 56 Cf. for this view the following passage in Voltaire57s Candide : Lets work without thinking, said Martin, it is the only way to make life bearable (Travaillons sans raisonner, dit Martin; cest le seul moyen de rendre la vie supportable). Voltaire, Romans et Contes. Ed. Frdric Deloffre and Jacques van den Heuvel. Paris 1979, chapter 30, p. 233. 58 Read: not because anything special is going on. 59 Van Gogh is referring here to Gustave Kahn60s criticism of his paintings; see letter 594, n. 15. 8 To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Tuesday, 18 September 1888.

Jai moi aussi lu Cesarine de Richepin jaime bien ce que dit la femme dite toque, la vie tout entire cest des equations bien faites.61

Translation [1r:1] My dear Theo, I already wrote to you early this morning,63 then I went to continue working on a painting of a sunny garden.64 Then I brought it back and went out again with a blank canvas and thats done, too.65 And now I feel like writing to you again. Because Ive never had such good fortune; nature here is extraordinarily beautiful. Everything and everywhere. The dome of the sky is a wonderful blue, the sun has a pale sulphur radiance, and its soft and charming, like the combination of celestial blues and yellows in paintings by Vermeer of Delft66. I cant paint as beautifully as that, but it absorbs me so much that I let myself go without thinking about any rule. That gives me 3 paintings of the gardens facing the house.67 Then the two cafs.68 Then the sunﬂowers.69 Then Boch70s portrait, and mine.71 Then the red sun over the factory72 and the men unloading sand.73 The old mill.74 Leaving the other studies aside, you can see that some hard work has been done.[1v:2] But my colours, my canvas, my wallet are completely exhausted today. The last painting, done with the last tubes on the last canvas, is a naturally green garden, is painted without green as such, with nothing but Prussian blue and chrome yellow. Im beginning to feel quite diﬀerent from what I was when I came here, I have no more doubts, I no longer hesitate to tackle something, and that could increase still further. But what scenery! Its a public garden where I am, just near the street of the good little ladies, and Mourier75, for example, never went there, whereas we used to walk in these gardens almost every day, but on the other side (there are 3 of them).76 But youll understand that its precisely

61 In Jean Richepin62s Csarine (1888), the title character, who is labelled as mad by those around her because of her promiscuous lifestyle, says: Everything in life is resolved, on the whole, even the most extraordinary actions, by a series of careful equations (Tout se rsout, en somme, dans la vie, mme les actes les plus extraordinaires, par des quations bien faites) (see 4th ed. Paris 1888, p. 258). 63 This was letter 682. 64 Path in the public garden (F 470 / JH 1582); see letter 682. 65 Path in the public garden (F 471 / JH 1613). Van Gogh describes this painting later in the letter. 66 Johannes (Jan) Vermeer (1632-1675) Dutch artist 67 As well as the two works referred to above, Van Gogh had a third painting of the park: The public garden (The poets garden) (F 468 / JH 1578). See letter 681. 68 The night caf (F 463 / JH 1575) and Caf terrace at night (F 467 / JH 1580). 69 Sunflowers in a vase (F 453 / JH 1559), Sunflowers in a vase (F 459 / JH 1560), Sunflowers in a vase (F 456 / JH 1561) and Sunflowers in a vase (F 454 / JH 1562). 70 Eugne Guillaume Boch (1855-1941) Belgian artist 71 Eugne Boch (The poet) (F 462 / JH 1574) and Self-portrait (F 476/ JH 1581). 72 This painting of a factory and a red sun is not known; cf. letter 680, n. 10.

73 Quay with sand barges (F 449 / JH 1558). 74 The old mill (F 550 / JH 1577). 75 Christian Vilhelm Mourier-Petersen (1858-1945) Danish artist 76 Rue du Bout dArles ran from the Roubine du Roi Canal to rue des Rcollets; the maisons de tolrance (brothels) were in these two streets. Van Gogh meant the public garden to the south-east of place Lamartine. See letter 604, n. 2, for the other parks. To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Tuesday, 18 September 1888. 9 that which gives a je ne sais quoi of Boccaccio77 to the place.78 That side of the garden is also, for the same reason of chastity or morality, empty of flowering shrubs such as the oleander. Its ordinary plane trees, pines in tall clumps, a weeping tree and green grass. But it has such intimacy! There are gardens like that by Monet81. [1v:3] As long as you can bear the burden of all the colours, canvas, money that Im forced to spend, keep on sending me them. Because what Im preparing will be better than the last consignment, and believe that well gain rather than lose by it. If, that is, I manage to do an ensemble that will hold together. Which Im trying to do. But is it absolutely impossible for Thomas82 to lend me two or three hundred francs on my studies? That would mean that I would earn over a thousand from them, because I couldnt tell you enough, Im thrilled, thrilled, thrilled with what I see. And that gives you yearnings for autumn,83 a zest that means that time passes without your feeling it. Beware the morning after, beware the winter mistrals. Today, while actually working, I thought a lot about Bernard85. His letter is full of veneration for Gauguin86s talent he says that he finds him so great an artist that it almost frightens him, and he finds everything that he, Bernard, does, bad in comparison with Gauguin. And you know that last winter Bernard was still trying to pick a quarrel with Gauguin.87 Ah well, whatever the case, and whatever happens, its very consoling that those artists are our friends, and I dare to believe will remain so, no matter how things turn out. I have such luck with the house with work that I even dare believe that blessings wont come singly, but that youll share them for your part, and have good luck too. Some time ago I read an article on Dante90, Petrarch91, Boccaccio92, Giotto93, Botticelli94; my God, what an impression that made on me, reading those peoples letters!95 Now Petrarch was just near here, in Avignon,102 [1r:4]

77 Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) Italian writer 78 An allusion to Boccaccio79s sensual nature, which Van Gogh had read about in the article Boccace daprs ses oeuvres et les tmoignages contemporains by Cochin80 discussed later in the letter (see n. 15 below). Cochin said, among other things, that the young Boccaccio lived a dissipated life in Naples (p. 377). 81 Claude Oscar Monet (1840-1926) French artist 82 Jean Joseph Thomas (1814-1898) seller of artists’ materials in Paris 83 An allusion to the chapter entitled Les aspirations de lautomne in Michelet84s Lamour ; see letter 14, n. 19.

85 Emile Bernard (1868-1941) French artist and writer 86 Paul (Eugne Henri) Gauguin (1848-1903) French artist 87 Nothing is known about a quarrel between Bernard88 and Gauguin89 in the winter of 1887-1888. The two artists had not got on well at their first meeting in Pont-Aven in 1886. Bernard wrote about this in 1895: The welcome Mr Gauguin gave me was extremely frosty, and that year there was nothing but the strangest antipathy between us. (Laccueil que me fit M. Gauguin fut un des plus glacs, et cette anne-l il ne se manifesta entre nous que la plus trange antipathie.) See Bernard 1994, vol. 2, p. 71. 90 Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) Italian poet 91 Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca) (1304-1374) Italian poet 92 Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) Italian writer 93 Giotto di Bondone (1267/75-1337) Italian artist 94 Sandro Botticelli (1444/45-1510) Italian artist 95 This is the article by Henry Cochin96 mentioned above, Boccace daprs ses oeuvres et les tmoignages contemporains, Revue des Deux Mondes 58 (15 July 1888), 3rd series, vol. 88, pp. 373-413 (see also letter 665, n. 12). It discusses Boccaccio97s friendship with Francesco Petrarch98 at length. The author quotes from their letters several times. Dante99 is also referred to often in the article; Giotto100 is mentioned twice and Botticelli101 only once (and then very much in passing). Aside from Botticelli whom Van Gogh added later his summing up accords with that on the last page of the article: Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, Giotto, all the men were dead who had, after ten centuries, revived classical Latin glory (Dante, Petrarque, Boccace, Giotto, tous les hommes taient morts, qui 10 To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Tuesday, 18 September 1888. and I see the same cypresses and oleanders. Ive tried to put something of that into one of the gardens, painted with thick impasto, lemon yellow and lemon green.104 Giotto105 touched me the most always suffering and always full of kindness and ardour as if he were already living in a world other than this.106 Giotto109 is extraordinary, anyway, and I feel him more than the poets: Dante110, Petrarch111, Boccaccio112. It always seems to me that poetry is more terrible than painting, although painting is dirtier and more damned annoying, in fact. And after all, the painter says nothing; he keeps quiet, and I like that even better. My dear Theo, when youve seen the cypresses, the oleanders, the sun down here and that day will come, dont worry youll think even more often of beautiful works by Puvis de Chavannes113: Pleasant land 114 and so many others. Throughout the Tartarin side116 and the Daumier118 side of this funny part of the world, where the good folk have the accent that you know, theres already so much thats Greek, and theres the Venus of Arles,119 like the one of Lesbos,120 and you can still feel that youthfulness, despite avaient, aprs dix sicles, revivifi lantique gloire latine) (p. 413). 102 Petrarch103 spent much of his youth in Avignon, the residence of the popes. After studying in Montpellier and Bologna he returned there and remained for some considerable time. Avignon was important above all as the place where the poet met his muse Laura, on 6 April 1327 in the Church of St Claire. 104 The public garden (The poets garden) (F 468 / JH 1578). 105 Giotto di Bondone (1267/75-1337) Italian artist 106 Van Gogh based his remark about the sickly Giotto107 on Cochin108s article (Boccace daprs ses oeuvres et les tmoignages contemporains; see n. 15 above); he also referred to the passage in question in letter 665. It reads in full: Giotto, ugly and sickly but radiating natural genius, was painting scenes from the Divine Comedy at the Chteau de lOeuf. The king, full of respect and admiration, spent his days with the painter, delighting in the brazen charm of his Florentine speech and putting up with the most caustic witticisms from him. He heaped honours on him and wanted to keep him in Naples and make him the first man of his kingdom. (Giotto, laid et chtif, mais rayonnant de gnie naturel, peignait au chteau de lOEuf des scnes de la Divine Comdie. Et le roi, plein de respect et dadmiration, passait ses journes auprs du peintre, prenant plaisir la grce hardie de son language florentin, souffrant de lui les saillies les plus mordantes, le comblant dhonneurs, voulant le retenir Naples et en faire le premier homme de son royaume.) (p. 378). 109 Giotto di Bondone (1267/75-1337) Italian artist 110 Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) Italian poet 111 Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca) (1304-1374) Italian poet 112 Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) Italian writer 113 Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (1824-1898) French artist 114 Pierre Puvis de Chavannes115, Pleasant land, c. 1882 (New Haven, Yale University Art Gallery, Mary Gertrude Abbey Fund) had been on show at the Puvis de Chavannes retrospective at Durand-Ruels in Paris from 20 November- 20 December 1887 (cat. no. 83). Ill. 314. 116 The character of Tartarin in Daudet117s eponymous novels, Tartarin sur les Alpes and Tartarin de Tarascon , which are set in the south of France. See letter 583, n. 9.

118 Honor Daumier (1808-1879) French artist 119 The marble statue Venus of Arles is a Roman copy of an Aphrodite by Praxiteles from the end of the first century BC (Paris, Muse du Louvre). Cf. Baedeker 1889-2, p. 211. It was excavated in the Thtre Antique in Arles in 1651 and given to Louis xiv for his palace at Versailles in 1684. The sculptor Franois Girardon restored the statue, adding arms and placing an apple in the goddesss hand. The version Van Gogh saw in Arles is an early nineteenth-century plaster copy of the statue as restored by Girardon. Ill. 2246 (Muse de lArles antique, Documentation). 120 Van Gogh was probably mistaken in the place name and meant the Venus de Milo (Melos) in the Louvre, from the first century BC, attributed to Alexandros of Antioch. Ill. 2248. Van Gogh might conceivably also be referring To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Tuesday, 18 September 1888. 11 everything. I dont doubt in the very least that one day you too will know the south. Youll perhaps go to see Claude Monet121 when hes in Antibes,122 or youll find some opportunity, anyway. When the mistrals blowing, though, its the very opposite of a pleasant land here, because the mistrals really aggravating. But what a compensation, what a compensation, when theres a day with no wind. What intensity of colours, what pure air, what serene vibrancy. Tomorrow Im going [2r:5] to draw until the colours arrive.124 But now Ive reached the point where Ive made up my mind not to draw a painting in charcoal any more. Theres no point; you have to tackle the drawing with the colour itself in order to draw well. Ah the exhibition at the Revue Indpendante125 fine but once and for all were far too much smokers to put the cigar in our mouth the wrong way round.126 Well be obliged to try to sell, in order to be able to do again, better, the same things sold; thats because were in a lousy trade but lets look for something other than the joy of the town, which means grief at home.128 This afternoon I had a select audience..... of 4 or 5 pimps and a dozen kids who found it particularly interesting to watch the colours come out of the tubes. Ah, well, that sort of audience thats fame, or rather, I have the firm intention of thumbing my nose at ambition and fame, like these kids and these ruffians from the banks of the Rhne and rue du Bout dArles. I was at Milliet130s today; hes going to come tomorrow, having extended his stay by 4 days. Id like Bernard131 to go to do his military service in Africa, because hed do fine things there, and I still dont know what to say to him. He said hed exchange his portrait for one of my studies. But he said that he darent do Gauguin132, as Id asked him, because he feels too shy with Gauguin.133 Bernard135 is actually so temperamental!! Hes sometimes crazy and mean, but Im certainly not the one who has the right to blame him for that, because I know the same neurosis too much myself, and I know that he wouldnt blame me either. If he went to see Milliet136 in Africa, Milliet would certainly make friends with him. Because Milliets very loyal as a friend, and makes love so easily that he almost has contempt for love. [2v:6] Whats Seurat137 doing? I wouldnt dare show him the studies Ive already sent, but the ones of the sunflowers and the bars and the gardens, those Id like him to see I often think about his system, and yet I wont follow it at all, but hes an original colourist, and its the same thing for to the only other statue of Venus on display in the museum in Arles at the time: Head of a Goddess (Venus?). (Muse de lArles antique, Documentation). 121 Claude Oscar Monet (1840-1926) French artist 122 Monet123 had painted landscapes in Antibes in the spring of 1888 and Theo had exhibited some of them; see letter 625, n. 5.

124 This would be the paint he had ordered in letter 677. 125 Theo had suggested that Vincent might exhibit at La Revue Indpendante: see letter 677, n. 16.

126 See letter 673, n. 6, for this reference to Daudet127s Limmortel . 128 This proverb occurs in Daudet129s Numa Roumestan . The novel, which Van Gogh had read in 1884 (see letter 439, n. 4), ends with a lengthy passage about the Provencal saying Gau de carriero, doulou dostau (Joie de rue, douleur de maison), which is also the last sentence of the book. 130 Paul Eugne Milliet (1863-1943) French lieutenant of the Zouaves 131 Emile Bernard (1868-1941) French artist and writer 132 Paul (Eugne Henri) Gauguin (1848-1903) French artist 133 Van Gogh had received a letter from Bernard134 the previous day; see letter 682. 135 Emile Bernard (1868-1941) French artist and writer 136 Paul Eugne Milliet (1863-1943) French lieutenant of the Zouaves 137 Georges Seurat (1859-1891) French artist 12 To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Tuesday, 18 September 1888.

Signac138, but to a diﬀerent degree; the pointillists have found something new, and I like them very much all the same. But I I say so frankly Im returning more to what I was looking for before coming to Paris, and I dont know if anyone before me has talked about suggestive colour. But Delacroix139 and Monticelli140, while not talking about it, did it. But Im again the way I was in Nuenen, when I made a vain attempt to learn music even then so strongly did I feel the connections there are between our colour and Wagner141s music.142 Now its true, I see in Impressionism the resurrection of Eugne Delacroix146, but the interpretations being both divergent and somewhat irreconcilable, it wont be Impressionism that will formulate the doctrine. Its for that reason that I remain among the Impressionists, because that says nothing and commits you to nothing. And being there as a pal, I dont have to state my position. My God, you have to play the fool in life; I ask for the time to study, and you, do you ask for anything other than that? But I feel that you must, like me, long to have the peace and quiet needed in order to study with an open mind.[2v:7] And Im so afraid of taking it away from you with my requests for money. However, I do so many calculations, and actually today I found that for the ten metres of canvas I had calculated the colours correctly, except for one, the fundamental one of yellow. If all my colours run out at the same time, isnt that proof that I can sense the relative proportions like a sleep-walker? Its the way it is with drawing, I hardly measure, and in that Im quite categorically opposed to Cormon147, who says that if he didnt measure he would draw like a pig. I think you did quite well, all the same, to buy so many stretching frames, because you have to have a certain number to be able to dry the canvases thoroughly, which preserves them, and I also have a whole lot of them here myself. But you mustnt hesitate to take them oﬀ the stretching frames, so that everything doesnt take up too much space. Here I pay 1.50 francs for no. 30, 25, 20 stretching frames, and 1 franc for no. 15, 12, 10. If I have them made by the carpenter.148 As carpentry is very expensive here, Tanguy149 could also supply them if he reckoned them at that price. Im looking for a frame in light walnut, at 5 francs, for the square no. 30 canvas, and I think Ill get it. A frame in heavy oak for the no. 10 canvas, portrait, also costs me 5 francs.150 Ive also had to order 5 no. 30 stretching frames for the new canvas,151 which are already made and which I have to collect. That will prove to you that I cant be without some money at this

138 Paul Signac (1863-1935) French artist 139 Ferdinand Victor Eugne Delacroix (1798-1863) French artist 140 Adolphe Joseph Thomas Monticelli (1824-1886) French artist 141 Richard Wagner (1813-1883) German composer 142 In 1912, in the magazine De Amsterdammer, Anton Kerssemakers143 recalled: He was always comparing painting with music, and so as to get a better understanding of the gradation of tones, he started to take piano lessons with an old music teacher, who was also an organist, in E[indhoven]. This didnt last long, though, because during the lessons Van Gogh kept comparing the notes of the piano with Prussian blue and dark green or dark ochre to bright cadmium, and so the poor man thought he must be dealing with a madman and became so afraid of him that he stopped the lessons. Quoted in Verzamelde brieven 1973, vol. 3, p. 95. The music teacher was Hein van der Zande (1820-1903), according to Dimmen Gestel144 in Het Eindhovensch Dagblad, 10 October 1930. Charles Blanc145 had written in Les artistes de mon temps : Colour can be learned like music (Le coloris sapprend comme la musique). See Blanc 1876, p. 62. 146 Ferdinand Victor Eugne Delacroix (1798-1863) French artist 147 Fernand Piestre Cormon (1845-1924) French artist 148 Lindicateur marseillais 1888 lists 23 carpenters (menuisiers); we do not know who Van Gogh got to make his stretching frames. 149 Julien Franois Tanguy (pre Tanguy) (1825-1894) seller of artists’ materials in Paris 150 By the square no. 30 canvas and the no. 10 canvas, portrait Van Gogh is referring in general to the canvas sizes for which he was seeking frames, although he did already have specific works in mind: The public garden (The poets garden) (F 468 / JH 1578), which he sent to Theo in a walnut frame in May 1889 (see letter 777), and Eugne Boch (The poet) (F 462 / JH 1574), which he planned to hang in his bedroom (see letter 693). 151 Van Gogh had ordered 5 metres of canvas in letter 680; in letter 687 he confirmed that he had received it. To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Tuesday, 18 September 1888. 13 period of work. [2r:8] Theres a consolation in that were always among raw materials, and arent speculating but only trying to produce.152 And then we cant go wrong. I hope itll be like that, and if Im in the inevitable necessity of using up my colours and my canvas and my wallet, you can be sure that thats not yet the way that were to perish. Even if for your part you use up your purse and whats in it, true, its bad, but say to me calmly: theres nothing left, then therell be more, because of what Ill have done with it. But youll say to me, rightly in the meantime? In the meantime Ill draw, because its more convenient to do nothing but draw than to paint. I shake your hand firmly. What days these are, not because of events, but I feel so strongly that were not decadents, you and I, and not finished yet, and wont be, in time to come. But you know that I dont contradict the critics who will say that my paintings arent finished.154 I shake your hand, and more soon. Ever yours, Vincent Ive read Richepin156s Csarine too I love what the so-called crazy woman says, all of life is well- constructed equations.157

152 Cf. for this view the following passage in Voltaire153s Candide : Lets work without thinking, said Martin, it is the only way to make life bearable (Travaillons sans raisonner, dit Martin; cest le seul moyen de rendre la vie supportable). Voltaire, Romans et Contes. Ed. Frdric Deloﬀre and Jacques van den Heuvel. Paris 1979, chapter 30, p. 233. 154 Van Gogh is referring here to Gustave Kahn155s criticism of his paintings; see letter 594, n. 15.

156 Jean (Auguste-Jules) Richepin (1849-1926) French writer 157 In Jean Richepin158s Csarine (1888), the title character, who is labelled as mad by those around her because of her promiscuous lifestyle, says: Everything in life is resolved, on the whole, even the most extraordinary actions, by a series of careful equations (Tout se rsout, en somme, dans la vie, mme les actes les plus extraordinaires, par des quations bien faites) (see 4th ed. Paris 1888, p. 258).