Theo to van Gogh. , Saturday, 5 July 1890.

Saturday, 5 July 1890

Metadata Source status: Original manuscript

Location: , , inv. no. b767 V/1962

Date: Letter headed: Paris le 5 Juillet 1890.

Additional: Original [1r:1] Paris le 5 Juillet 1890. Mon cher Vincent, Meri bien de ta lettre. Heureusement la mienne tapporte de bonnes nouvelles du petit. Aprs quelques jours de souffrance il a recommenc tre gai & ne plus autant se plaindre.1 Cest grace au bon lait danesses que nous lui donnons actuellement. Les animaux viennent la porte & il reoit le matin du lait chaud, toujours [1v:2] de la mme bte. Ensuite il reste encore pour deux fois, quil reoit alternativement avec le lait de sa mre, qui vient maintenant en abondance. Il a excellente mine lheurre quil est. Il faut quil prenne le lait danesse au moins pendant 15 jours & nous ne pourrons

1 Andries Bonger2 wrote to his parents3 the day before: Little Vincent4 is infinitely better. Net [Jo5] doesnt want to believe it, but we are sure its teeth (FR b1856).

1 2 Theo van Gogh to . Paris, Saturday, 5 July 1890. donc pas aller chez Pissarro le 14 Juillet. 6 Jai donc pris ce jour pour aller chez Claude Monet avec Valadon9 qui certes mammerdera12 ce jour, mais je suis content daller voir les nouveaux travaux de Monet. Il ny a pas de raison pour que tu recule ta venue, non que nous napprcions pas que tu as voulu[1v:3] venir partager mes douleurs, au contraire meri, mais avec un malade moins quil y a de monde, mieux cela vaut. Vient donc si tu veux Dimanche avec le premier train, tu verras le matin Walpoole Brooke qui vient voir tes tableaux chez Tangui, ensuite un Bouda japonais que jai vu chez un brocanteur & aprs cela nous allons djeuner chez nous pour voir tes tudes toi. Tu resteras chez nous tant que tu voudras & tu nous donneras conseil pour larrangement de notre nouvel appartement. Probablement Dries & Annie viendront au rez de chausse & ils auront un petit jardin dont nous, naturellement, profiterons. Si cela veut[1r:4] marcher avec les deux femmes cela promet du bon. Peuttre bien que Dries viendra chez nous. Jai beaucoup de chance dans les affaires sinon comme ventes de tableaux de fs 800000000000 mais jai entre autres vendu deux Gauguins pour lesquels je lui ai envoy le montant.13 Pissarro mcrit quil na pas pu payer son loyer, je vais lui envoyer un petit acompte sur les affaires que nous ferons. Voyons, son exposition lui a bien donn quelque chose mais ctait toujours pour boucher des trous. Il a eu un abcs loeil. Pauvre vieux!15 Bonjour frre,

6 On 6 July 1890, Camille Pissarro7 wrote that he hoped that Theo would be able to visit him in Eragny on 14 July, in the company of Vincent and Andries Bonger8. This visit did not take place (Photocopy of this letter in Van Gogh Museum, Documentation). 9 Ren Valadon10, Theos employer and the founder of Boussod, Valadon & Cie11. 12 Read: memmerdera. 13 This most likely refers to Dog running in the grass (present whereabouts unknown, not in Wildenstein), sold on 5 July 1890 to Eugne Blot for 200 francs (Gauguin14 received 150 francs), and Oranges and lemons with view of Pont-Aven , 1889 (W401) (Baden, Stiftung Langmatt Sidney und Jenny Brown), sold on 30 April 1890 to Ernest Chausson for 300 francs. See GRI, Goupil Ledgers, nos. 20859 and 20648; Gauguin lettres 1983, p. 183; and exhib. cat. Amsterdam 1999, pp. 139, 212. 15 Theo had written to Pissarro16 on 5 July that he would send 500 francs to be deducted from the deals that we will make, and we will do many, its a firm promise, if youll only be sure to take good care of yourself and of your eye. ( valoir sur les affaires que nous ferons, et nous en ferons beaucoup, cest dit et promis, si seulement vous voulez bien vous soigner et soigner votre oeil). See Jampoller 1986, p. 59 and Correspondance Pissarro 1980-1991, vol. 2, p. 354 (n. 1). For the Pissarro exhibition at Theos, see letter 858, n. 9. See also n. 2 above; regarding Pissarros eye complaint, see letter 799, n. 5. Theo van Gogh to Vincent van Gogh. Paris, Saturday, 5 July 1890. 3 nous comptons te voir Dimanche. Bien bonjour de Jo & le petit te sourit comme avant sa maladie. Bonne poigne de mains de ton frre qui taime Theo Bonjour Dr Gachet & les siens. Le croquis du paysage la Michel promet17 & le portrait doit tre superbe.18

Translation [1r:1] Paris 5 July 1890 My dear Vincent, Thanks very much for your letter. Fortunately mine brings you good news of the little one19. After a few days of suffering he has started to be jolly again and no longer to cry so much.20 Its thanks to the good asss milk were currently giving him. The animals come to the door, and in the morning he receives warm milk, always from the same animal. Afterwards theres still enough for [1v:2] two doses, which he receives alternately with his mothers milk, which is now coming in abundance. He looks extremely well at the moment. He must take the asss milk for at least a fortnight, and so we cant go to Pissarro25s on 14 July.26 So Ive taken that day to go to see Claude Monet29 with Valadon30,31 who will certainly get on my nerves on that day, but Im content to go and see the new works by Monet. Theres no reason for you to put back your arrival, not that we dont appreciate that you wanted to come and share my pains, on the contrary, thank you, but with a [1v:3] patient, the fewer people there are around the better it is. So come if you like on Sunday with the first train, in the morning youll see Walpole Brooke34, whos coming to see your paintings at Tanguy35s, next a Japanese Buddha which I saw in a curio shop, and after that were going to have lunch at our place to see your studies. You can stay with us as long as you want, and you can give us advice on the arrangement of our new apartment. Dries36 and Annie37 will probably come to the ground floor, and theyll have a little garden which we, naturally, will have the benefit of. If the two women get on with each other it promises well. Perhaps good that Dries will come to [1r:4] our place. Im having a lot of luck in business, even if I havent sold paintings for 800,000,000,000

17 The letter sketch Wheatfields (F - / JH 2039) in letter 896, after the painting of the same name F 775 / JH 2038. 18 The painting Girl against a background of wheat (F 774 / JH 2053), after which Van Gogh made the letter sketch of the same name F - / JH 2054 in letter 896. 19 Vincent Willem van Gogh (1890-1978) son of Theo van Gogh 20 Andries Bonger21 wrote to his parents22 the day before: Little Vincent23 is infinitely better. Net [Jo24] doesnt want to believe it, but we are sure its teeth (FR b1856). 25 Camille Jacob Pissarro (1830-1903) French artist 26 On 6 July 1890, Camille Pissarro27 wrote that he hoped that Theo would be able to visit him in Eragny on 14 July, in the company of Vincent and Andries Bonger28. This visit did not take place (Photocopy of this letter in Van Gogh Museum, Documentation). 29 Claude Oscar Monet (1840-1926) French artist 30 Ren Valadon (1848-1921) art dealer in Paris 31 Ren Valadon32, Theos employer and the founder of Boussod, Valadon & Cie33. 34 Edmund Walpole Brooke (1865-1938) Australian artist 35 Julien Franois Tanguy (pre Tanguy) (1825-1894) seller of artists’ materials in Paris 36 Andries (Andr or Dries) Bonger (1861-1936) friend of Theo in Paris, brother of Jo van Gogh-Bonger 37 Anne (Annie) Marie Louise Bonger-Van der Linden (1859-1931) wife of Andries Bonger 4 Theo van Gogh to Vincent van Gogh. Paris, Saturday, 5 July 1890. francs, but among other things Ive sold two Gauguin38s, for which Ive sent him the amount.39 Pissarro41 wrote to me that he wasnt able to pay his rent, Im going to send him a little advance on the business well do. You see, his exhibition really brought him in something, but still just to plug the holes. Hes had an abscess on the eye. Poor old chap!42 Good-day to you brother, were counting on seeing you on Sunday. Warm regards from Jo44, and the little one45 is smiling at you like before he was ill. Good handshake from your brother who loves you. Theo Regards to Dr Gachet46 and his family. The croquis of the landscape la Michel47 is promising,48 and the portrait must be superb.49

38 Paul (Eugne Henri) Gauguin (1848-1903) French artist 39 This most likely refers to Dog running in the grass (present whereabouts unknown, not in Wildenstein), sold on 5 July 1890 to Eugne Blot for 200 francs (Gauguin40 received 150 francs), and Oranges and lemons with view of Pont-Aven , 1889 (W401) (Baden, Stiftung Langmatt Sidney und Jenny Brown), sold on 30 April 1890 to Ernest Chausson for 300 francs. See GRI, Goupil Ledgers, nos. 20859 and 20648; Gauguin lettres 1983, p. 183; and exhib. cat. Amsterdam 1999, pp. 139, 212. 41 Camille Jacob Pissarro (1830-1903) French artist 42 Theo had written to Pissarro43 on 5 July that he would send 500 francs to be deducted from the deals that we will make, and we will do many, its a firm promise, if youll only be sure to take good care of yourself and of your eye. ( valoir sur les affaires que nous ferons, et nous en ferons beaucoup, cest dit et promis, si seulement vous voulez bien vous soigner et soigner votre oeil). See Jampoller 1986, p. 59 and Correspondance Pissarro 1980-1991, vol. 2, p. 354 (n. 1). For the Pissarro exhibition at Theos, see letter 858, n. 9. See also n. 2 above; regarding Pissarros eye complaint, see letter 799, n. 5.

44 Johanna (Jo or Net) Gezina van Gogh-Bonger (1862-1925) wife of Theo van Gogh 45 Vincent Willem van Gogh (1890-1978) son of Theo van Gogh 46 Paul-Ferdinand Gachet Sr (1828-1909) doctor in Auvers-sur-Oise 47 Georges Michel (1763-1843) French artist 48 The letter sketch Wheatfields (F - / JH 2039) in letter 896, after the painting of the same name F 775 / JH 2038. 49 The painting Girl against a background of wheat (F 774 / JH 2053), after which Van Gogh made the letter sketch of the same name F - / JH 2054 in letter 896.