To Theo . , on or about Friday, 16 March 1888.

on or about Friday, 16 March 1888

Metadata Source status: Original manuscript

Location: Amsterdam, , inv. no. b509 V/1962

Date: The letter was written after 11 March, the date two Zouaves were murdered in Arles (see n. 8). As Van Gogh writes (ll. 91-95), many Italians were hounded out of town over the next few days because of this. The letter must therefore date from a few days after the crime. Van Gogh also refers to the fact that Koning has moved in with Theo (ll. 37-40). This must have been shortly after 14 March (FR b915). Since Van Gogh says he will write to Bernard and Toulouse-Lautrec on Sunday, the letter must moreover have been written before Sunday, 18 March. For these reasons we have dated the letter on or about Friday, 16 March 1888.

Additional: Original [1r:1] Mon cher Tho, je te remercie beaucoup de ta lettre sur laquelle je navais mme pas os compter si vite pour ce qui est du billet de 50 fr. que tu y as ajout. Je vois que tu nas encore gure de rponse de Tersteeg je ne vois pas la ncessit dinsister de notre ct par une nouvelle lettre toutefois si tu aurais quelque affaire officielle traiter avec la maison B.V.&C La Haye tu pourrais dans un P.S. faire sentir que tu sois plus ou moins tonn de ce quil ne taie point fait savoir quil a recue la lettre en question. Pour ce qui est du travail jai rapport une toile de 15 aujourdhui, cest un pont levis, sur lequel passe une petite voiture, qui se profile sur un ciel bleu la riviere bleue

1 2 To Theo van Gogh. Arles, on or about Friday, 16 March 1888.

galement, des berges oranges avec verdure, un groupe de laveuses aux caracos & bonnets barriols. 1 Puis autre paysage avec un petit pont rustique & laveuses galement. 2 Enfin une alle de platanes prs de la gare.3 En tout depuis que je suis ici 12 tudes. 4 Le temps est variable, souvent du vent & des ciels brouills mais les amandiers commencent fleurir gnralement. En somme je suis bien content que les tableaux soient [1v:2] aux Indpendants. 5 Tu feras bien daller voir Signac chez lui. 6 jtais bien content de ce que tu crivais dans ta lettre daujourdhui, quil a fait sur toi une impression plus favorable que la premire fois. Dans tous les cas cela me fait plaisir de savoir qu partir daujourdhui tu ne seras pas seul dans lappartement. Dis bien le bonjour Koning de ma part. Est ce que ta sant est bien, pour ce qui est de la mienne cela va mieux, seulement cest une vraie corve de manger vu que jai de la fivre et pas dappetit mais cela nest donc que passager et affaire de patience. Jai de la compagnie le soir puisque le jeune peintre Danois qui est ici est trs bien; son travail est sec, correct et timide mais je ne dteste pas cela lorsque lindividu est jeune et intelligent. Il a dans le temps commenc des tudes de mdecine, il connait les livres de Zola, de Goncourt, Guy de Maupassant, et il a assez dargent pour se la couler douce.8 Avec cela un dsir trs srieux de faire autre chse que ce quil fait actuellement. Je crois quil ferait bien de diffrer son retour dans

1 The Langlois bridge with washerwomen (F 397 / JH 1368). 2 The Gleize bridge with washerwomen (F 396 / JH 1367). 3 Avenue of plane trees (F 398 / JH 1366). 4 Among these twelve studies, aside from the three works just mentioned, were the eight studies referred to in letter 583: An old woman of Arles (F 390 / JH 1357), Landscape with snow (F 290 / JH 1360), View of a butchers shop (F 389 / JH 1359), Landscape with snow (F 391 / JH 1358), Sprig of almond blossom in a glass (F 392 / JH 1361), Sprig of almond blossom in a glass with a book (F 393 / JH 1362), Basket of oranges (F 395 / JH 1363) and a study, possibly Bowl of Potatoes (F 386 / JH 1365). The twelfth work was Pollard willows with setting sun (F 572 / JH 1597) (see letter 584, n. 7). 5 Van Gogh exhibited three works with the Indpendants; see letter 582, n. 9.

6 In 1888 Signac7 lived at 130 boulevard de Clichy, where he also had his studio. Theo could have visited him there, or it might have been in his mothers house in Asnires, where Signac often received his friends. 8 Christian Mourier-Petersen9 whom Van Gogh refers to as young, but who was actually only five years younger than him had studied medicine for some time in Copenhagen prior to 1880. He came from a family of landowners and had the considerable sum of 6000 Danish Kroner available for his planned three-year Grand Tour to the south of Europe. See Larsson 1993, pp. 12-13. To Theo van Gogh. Arles, on or about Friday, 16 March 1888. 3 son pays dun an, ou de revenir aprs une courte visite ses concitoyens. Mais, mon cher frre tu sais je me sens au Japon. Je ne te dis que cela, et encore, je nai encore rien vu dans la splendeur accoutume. [1v:3] Cest pourquoi (tout en etant chagrin de ce que actuellement les dpenses sont raides et les tableaux des non valeurs), cest pourquoi je ne dsspre pas dune russite de cette entreprise de faire un long voyage dans le midi. Ici je vois du neuf, japprends et tant trait avec un peu de douceur mon corps ne me refuse pas ses services. Je souhaiterais pour bien des raisons pouvoir fonder un pied terre qui en cas dereintement pourrait servir mettre au vert les pauvres chevaux de fiacre de Paris qui sont toi-meme et plusieurs de nos amis, les impressionistes pauvres. Jai assist lenqute dun crime commis la porte dun bordel ici; deux italiens ont tu deux zouaves.10 Jai profit de loccasion pour entrer dans un des bordels de la petite rue dite des ricollettes.11 Ce quoi se bornent mes exploits amoureux vis vis des Arlsiennes. La foule manque (le mridional selon lexemple de Tartarin12 tant davantage daplomb pour la bonne volont que pour laction), la foule dis je, a manque lyncher les meurtriers emprisonns lhtel de ville mais sa reprsaille a t que tous les Italiens et toutes les Italiennes, y compris les marmots Savoyards, ont d quitter la ville de force.14 [1r:4] Je ne te parlerais pas de cela si ce ntait pour te dire que jai vu les boulevards de cette ville plein de monde rveill. Et

10 At eleven oclock in the evening of 11 March the Zouaves Louis-Edouard Dupont and Jean Destanque were stabbed to death when leaving a brothel in rue des Rcollets after a row with three Italian labourers. This brothel, the maison de tolrance no. 14 on the corner of the rue du Bout dArles and rue des Rcollets, must have been the one that Van Gogh visited. See Murphy 2016, pp. 60-61, 270 (n. 8). The investigation of the crime (and hence also Van Goghs brothel visit) took place in the afternoon of Monday, 12 March. See further n. 11 below. 11 Rue des Rcollets opened off rue de la Cavalerie, where Van Goghs boarding-house was. 12 The central character in Daudet13s novels Tartarin de Tarascon (1872) and Tartarin sur les Alpes (1885); see letter 583, n. 9.

14 The local newspapers LHomme de Bronze and Le Forum Rpublicain reported on the occurrence at length in their editions of Sunday, 18 March. LIntransigeant of 19 March 1888 also covered it. The incident brought the whole town of Arles up in arms. When the offenders were rounded up, the buildings where they were locked up were besieged by a crowd of angry inhabitants. They also drove virtually all the Italians out of the town, prompted in part by anger that they took a lot of jobs while there was high unemployment among the local population. The murdered Zouaves were buried with great ceremony on Wednesday, 14 March, and the event attracted crowds of people. For the petits ramoneurs savoyards see www.hautesavoiephotos.com. 4 To Theo van Gogh. Arles, on or about Friday, 16 March 1888.

vraiment ctait bien beau. Jai fait mes trois dernires tudes au moyen du cadre perspectif que tu me connais.15 Jattache de limportance lemploi du cadre puisquil ne me semble pas improbable que dans un avenir peu loign plusieurs artistes sen serviront de mme que les anciens peintres allemands et italiens srement et, je suis port le croire, pas moins les flamands sen sont servis. Lemploi moderne de cet instrument peut diffrer de lemploi quanciennement on en a fait mais nest ce pas de mme quavec le procd de la peinture lhuile on obtient aujourdhui des effets trs diffrents de ceux des inventeurs du procd, J. et Hubert. v. Eyck.16 Cest pour dire que jespre toujours ne pas travailler pour moi seul. Je crois la ncessit absolue dun nouvel art de la couleur, du dessin et de la vie artistique. Et si nous travaillons dans cette foi-l, il me semble quil y ait des chances pour que notre esprance ne soit pas vaine. Tu sauras toujours qu la rigueur je suis en tat de te faire parvenir des tudes, seulement pour les rouler cest encore impossible. Je te serre bien la main. Jcris dimanche Bernard et de Lautrec puisque jai formellement promis. je tenverrai dailleurs les lettres.18 Je regrette bien le cas de Gauguin, surtout parceque sa sant tant branle, il na plus un temperament auquel les preuves ne puissent faire que du bien, au contraire cela ne fera dsormais que lreinter et cela doit le gner pour travailler. A bientt. t. t.

Translation [1r:1] My dear Theo, I thank you very much for your letter, which I hadnt even dared to expect so soon as regards the 50-franc note you included with it. I see youve had no response yet from Tersteeg19 I dont see the need to press the point from our end in a new letter however, if you had some official business to transact with the firm of Boussod

15 For Van Goghs knowledge and use of the perspective frame see letter 235, n. 10 and cat. Amsterdam 2011. See for the three studies: nn. 1 -3 above. 16 In the fifteenth century artists made the paint thicker and more stable by adding special oil. Jan van Eyck17 was certainly one of the first artists to use this technique, but contrary to what is often asserted he did not invent it. 18 These letters were enclosed with letter 588. 19 Hermanus Gijsbertus Tersteeg (H.G.T., T. or Mr T.) (1845-1927) art dealer at the Goupil gallery in The Hague To Theo van Gogh. Arles, on or about Friday, 16 March 1888. 5

Valadon & Cie20 in The Hague you could make it clear in a P.S. that youre quite surprised that he hasnt let you know that he received the letter in question. As far as work goes, I brought home a no.15 canvas today, its a drawbridge, with a little carriage going across it, outlined against a blue sky the river blue as well, the banks orange with greenery, a group of washerwomen wearing blouses and multicoloured bonnets.21 And another landscape with a little rustic bridge and washerwomen as well.22 Lastly an avenue of plane trees near the station.23 12 studies altogether since Ive been here.24 The weathers changeable, often windy and cloudy skies but the almond trees are starting to blossom everywhere. All in all Im very pleased that the paintings are at the Independents.25 [1v:2] Youll do well to go and see Signac26 at his place.27 I was very pleased at what you wrote in todays letter, that he made a better impression on you than the first time. In any case Im happy to know that from today you wont be on your own in the apartment. Be sure to say hello to Koning29 for me. Is your health good? As far as mine goes, its better, but eatings a real chore as I have a fever and no appetite, but its just a passing thing and a question of patience. I have company in the evening, because the young Danish painter30 whos here is very nice; his work is dry, correct and timid, but Im not averse to that when the person is young and intelligent. At one time hed begun to study medicine, he knows the works of Zola31, De Goncourt32 and Guy de Maupassant33, and he has enough money to have an easy time of it.34 Besides that he has a very serious wish to do something different from what hes doing at present. I think hed do well to put off returning home for a year, or to come back after a short visit to his compatriots. But, my dear brother you know, I feel Im in Japan. I say no more than that, and again, Ive seen nothing yet in its usual splendour. Thats why (even while being worried that at the moment [1v:3] expenses are steep and the paintings of no value), thats why I dont despair of success in this enterprise of going on a long journey in the south. Here Im seeing new things, Im learning, and being treated with a bit of gentleness, my body isnt refusing me its services. For many reasons Id like to be able to create a pied--terre which, when people were exhausted, could be used to provide

20 Boussod, Valadon & Cie art dealers in Paris, successors of Goupil & Cie 21 The Langlois bridge with washerwomen (F 397 / JH 1368). 22 The Gleize bridge with washerwomen (F 396 / JH 1367). 23 Avenue of plane trees (F 398 / JH 1366). 24 Among these twelve studies, aside from the three works just mentioned, were the eight studies referred to in letter 583: An old woman of Arles (F 390 / JH 1357), Landscape with snow (F 290 / JH 1360), View of a butchers shop (F 389 / JH 1359), Landscape with snow (F 391 / JH 1358), Sprig of almond blossom in a glass (F 392 / JH 1361), Sprig of almond blossom in a glass with a book (F 393 / JH 1362), Basket of oranges (F 395 / JH 1363) and a study, possibly Bowl of Potatoes (F 386 / JH 1365). The twelfth work was Pollard willows with setting sun (F 572 / JH 1597) (see letter 584, n. 7). 25 Van Gogh exhibited three works with the Indpendants; see letter 582, n. 9.

26 Paul Signac (1863-1935) French artist 27 In 1888 Signac28 lived at 130 boulevard de Clichy, where he also had his studio. Theo could have visited him there, or it might have been in his mothers house in Asnires, where Signac often received his friends. 29 Arnold Hendrik Koning (1860-1945) Dutch artist 30 Christian Vilhelm Mourier-Petersen (1858-1945) Danish artist 31 Emile Zola (1840-1902) French writer 32 Edmond de Goncourt (1822-1896) French writer 33 Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) French writer 34 Christian Mourier-Petersen35 whom Van Gogh refers to as young, but who was actually only five years younger than him had studied medicine for some time in Copenhagen prior to 1880. He came from a family of landowners and had the considerable sum of 6000 Danish Kroner available for his planned three-year Grand Tour to the south of Europe. See Larsson 1993, pp. 12-13. 6 To Theo van Gogh. Arles, on or about Friday, 16 March 1888.

a rest in the country for poor Paris cab-horses like yourself and several of our friends, the poor Impressionists. I attended the inquiry into a crime committed at the door of a brothel here; two Italians killed two Zouaves.36 I took advantage of the opportunity to go into one of the brothels in the little street called des Rcollets.37 Which is the limit of my amorous exploits vis--vis the Arlsiennes. The crowd almost (the southerner, following Tartarins example,38 being braver in good intentions than in action), the crowd, Im telling you, almost lynched the murderers locked up in the town hall, but its revenge was that all the Italians, men and women, including the young chimney-sweeps, had to [1r:4] leave the town under duress.40 I wouldnt talk to you about that if it werent to tell you that Ive seen the boulevards of this town full of excited people. And really, that was quite beautiful. I made my last three studies with the help of the perspective frame you know about.41 I attach importance to the use of the frame, because it doesnt seem unlikely to me that several artists will use it in the not too distant future, just as the old German and Italian painters, certainly, and, Im inclined to believe, the Flemish artists too, used it. The modern use of this tool may differ from the use people made of it in the past but isnt it also true that with the process of painting in oils we nowadays achieve very different effects from those of the inventors of the process, J. and Hubert van Eyck42?43 This is to say that I still hope not to work for myself alone. I believe in the absolute necessity of a new art of colour, of drawing and of the artistic life. And if we work in that faith, it seems to me that theres a chance that our hopes wont be in vain. Youll still know that Im in a position to send you some studies if need be, only its still impossible to roll them up. I shake your hand firmly. On Sunday Ill write to Bernard45 and Lautrec46 because I solemnly promised to. Anyway, Ill send you the letters.47 Im really sorry about Gauguin48s situation, especially since, now that his health has been undermined, he no longer has a constitution that could only benefit from being put to the test, on the contrary, it will just wear him out now, and that will surely make it difficult for him to work. More soon. Ever yours, Vincent

36 At eleven oclock in the evening of 11 March the Zouaves Louis-Edouard Dupont and Jean Destanque were stabbed to death when leaving a brothel in rue des Rcollets after a row with three Italian labourers. This brothel, the maison de tolrance no. 14 on the corner of the rue du Bout dArles and rue des Rcollets, must have been the one that Van Gogh visited. See Murphy 2016, pp. 60-61, 270 (n. 8). The investigation of the crime (and hence also Van Goghs brothel visit) took place in the afternoon of Monday, 12 March. See further n. 11 below. 37 Rue des Rcollets opened off rue de la Cavalerie, where Van Goghs boarding-house was. 38 The central character in Daudet39s novels Tartarin de Tarascon (1872) and Tartarin sur les Alpes (1885); see letter 583, n. 9.

40 The local newspapers LHomme de Bronze and Le Forum Rpublicain reported on the occurrence at length in their editions of Sunday, 18 March. LIntransigeant of 19 March 1888 also covered it. The incident brought the whole town of Arles up in arms. When the offenders were rounded up, the buildings where they were locked up were besieged by a crowd of angry inhabitants. They also drove virtually all the Italians out of the town, prompted in part by anger that they took a lot of jobs while there was high unemployment among the local population. The murdered Zouaves were buried with great ceremony on Wednesday, 14 March, and the event attracted crowds of people. For the petits ramoneurs savoyards see www.hautesavoiephotos.com. 41 For Van Goghs knowledge and use of the perspective frame see letter 235, n. 10 and cat. Amsterdam 2011. See for the three studies: nn. 1 -3 above. 42 Jan van Eyck (c. 1390-1441) Flemish artist 43 In the fifteenth century artists made the paint thicker and more stable by adding special oil. Jan van Eyck44 was certainly one of the first artists to use this technique, but contrary to what is often asserted he did not invent it. 45 Emile Bernard (1868-1941) French artist and writer 46 Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) French artist 47 These letters were enclosed with letter 588. 48 Paul (Eugne Henri) Gauguin (1848-1903) French artist