To Theo . Arles, Thursday, 21 June 1888.

Thursday, 21 June 1888

Metadata Source status: Original manuscript

Location: Amsterdam, , inv. no. b542 V/1962

Date: Van Gogh writes The past two days weve had torrential that lasts all day (ll. 95-97). Since the rain started on Wednesday, 20 June, we like Pickvance think that this observation must have been made on the second rainy day, in other words on Thursday, 21 June 1888. Dorn suggests that Van Gogh is looking back on the third day at the two previous days, but because the rain continued we believe that Van Gogh would then have written of three days of rain. See exhib. cat. New York 1984, p. 94 and Dorn 1998, p. 25. The rainy weather went on for six days (Mto France).

Additional: Van Gogh enclosed an order for paint and canvas, as we can deduce from the words Im badly in need of a new consignment ... Only a third or half is urgent (ll. 87-91) and The canvas isnt at all urgent either (l. 108).

Original [1r:1] Mon cher Theo, je viens de lire larticle sur Claude Monet de Geffroy. 1 Cest vraiment trs bien ce quil dit. Que je voudrais voir cette exposition. Si je men console de ne pas la voir cest quen regardant autour de moi il y a bien des chses dans la nature qui ne me laissent gure le temps

1 Gustave Geffroy2, Dix tableaux de Claude Monet, La Justice 9 (17 June 1888), no. 3077, pp. 1-2. It emerges from a letter the art critic Gustave Geffroy wrote to Theo on 29 May 1888 that he was planning an article on Van Gogh, for which he evidently wanted to use quotations from the letters to Bernard3: In few days time, I should be grateful if you would come to Tanguy4s with me, so that I can finish looking at your brother-in-laws [read: brothers] work and making my notes. Thank Mr Bernard, please, for the extracts from the letters, which will be returned to him faithfully (Dans quelques jours, je vous demanderai de bien vouloir venir avec moi chez Tanguy, o jachverai de voir loeuvre de votre beau-frre et de prendre mes notes. Remerciez M. Bernard, je vous prie, pour les extraits de lettres, qui lui seront rendues fidlement) (FR b1199).

1 2 To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Thursday, 21 June 1888. de penser autre chse. Car cest juste le moment de la moisson. Jai eu une lettre de Bernard qui dit quil se sent bien isol mais qui travaille tout de mme et a encore fait une nouvelle posie sur lui-mme dans laquelle il se blague dune faon assez touchante. Et il demande: quoi bon travailler? Seulement il demande cela lui en travaillant , il se dit que le travail ne sert absolument rien en travaillant ce qui nest pas du tout la mme chse que de le dire en ne travaillant pas. Je voudrais bien voir ce quil fait. Je suis curieux de savoir ce que fera Gauguin et si Bernard nira pas le rejoindre Pont Aven; je leur ai donn les adresses de part et dautre dj auparavant parceque ils pourraient avoir besoin lun de lautre. 5 Jai eu une semaine dun travail serr et raide dans les bls en plein soleil, il en est result des tudes de bls, paysages7 et une esquisse de semeur. Sur un champ labour, un grand champ de mottes de terre viollettes montant vers lhorizon un semeur en bleu et blanc. lhorizon un champ de bl mr court.[1v:2] Sur tout cela un ciel jaune avec un soleil jaune.8 Tu sens la simple nomenclature des tonalits que la couleur joue dans cette composition un rle trs-important. Aussi lesquisse telle quelle toile de 25 me tourmente-t-elle beaucoup dans ce sens que je me demande sil ne faudrait pas la prendre au srieux et en faire un terrible tableau. Mon dieu comme jen aurais envie. Mais cest que je me demande si jaurai la force dexcution ncessaire.

5 Bernard6 went to Pont-Aven in August: see letter 664, n. 2.

7 Van Gogh says that he had been working in the wheatfields for a week. Given that it started raining on 20 June (see Date) he must have begun around 14 June, in other words after finishing The harvest (F 412 / JH 1440). He had already told Theo about that painting at length (see letters 623 and 625). The studies of wheatfields he refers to here are Wheatfield with setting sun (F 465 / JH 1473), Wheatfield (F 411 / JH 1476), Arles seen from the wheatfields (F 545 / JH 1477), Wheatfield with sheaves (F 561 / JH 1480), Wheatfield with sheaves (F 558 / JH 1481) and Wheat stacks (F 425 / JH 1442), which is not a wheatfield, but which Van Gogh includes later in the letter among the studies of wheatfields. He had painted Wheatfield (F 564 / JH 1475) previously as a preparatory study for The harvest (F 412 / JH 1440); see letter 623, n. 10. Wheat stacks with reaper (F 559 / JH 1479) was previously regarded as one of the Arles works, but is now placed in the Auvers period. See exhib. cat. Bremen 2002, p. 140, cat. no. 48. 8 Sower with setting sun (F 422 / JH 1470). Van Gogh describes the painting at an earlier stage; he worked on it again soon afterwards (see letter 634). To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Thursday, 21 June 1888. 3

Telle quelle je mets lesquisse de ct nosant presque pas y penser. Cela a dj depuis si longtemps t mon dsir de faire un semeur9 mais les dsirs que jai depuis longtemps ne saccomplissent pas toujours. Jen ai donc presque peur. Et pourtant aprs Millet et Lhermitte ce qui reste faire cest... le semeur, avec de la couleur et en grand format. 10 Parlons dautre chose. jai enfin un modle un Zouave cest un garon petite figure, cou de taureau, loeil de tigre, et jai commenc par un portrait et recommenc par un autre. [1v:3] le buste que jai peint de lui tait horriblement dur.13 en uniforme du bleu des casseroles emailles bleues, passementerie dun rouge orang fan avec deux toiles citron sur la poitrine, un bleu commun et bien dur faire. La tte feline trs bronze coiffe dun bonnet garance, je lai plaque contre une porte peinte en vert et les briques oranges dun mur. Cest donc une combinaison brutale de tons disparates pas commode mener ltude que jen ai fabrique me parait trs dure et pourtant je voudrais toujours travailler des portraits vulgaires et mme criards comme cela. Cela mapprend et voil ce que je demande surtout mon travail. Maintenant le deuxime portrait sera assis; en pied contre mur blanc. 14 As tu remarqu Dessins Raffalli La rue edit par le Figaro dernirement. le principal on dirait la place Clichy avec tout son mouvement, cest bien vivant.15 Figaro doit aussi avoir publi un numero avec dessins Caran dAche. 19 Dans la dernire lettre jai oubli de te dire que jai reu et cela maintenant depuis une quinzaine lenvoi de couleurs de Tasset. Jaurais bien besoin dun nouvel envoi

9 The subject of the sower had already occupied Van Gogh when he was in the Netherlands. See exhib. cat. Paris 1998, pp. 90-105, for an overview. 10 Van Gogh is referring here to Millet11s painting The sower, which he had repeatedly copied from prints in his early years as an artist, and to Lon Augustin Lhermitte12s drawing of the same title, Le semeur (The sower), which he knew from an engraving in Le Monde Illustr. See letters 156, n. 3 and 545, n. 8. 13 Zouave (F 423 / JH 1486). A Zouave was a French infantryman trained to serve in Africa. The sitters uniform tells us that he was a soldier and trumpeter in the third regiment. See cat. Amsterdam 2007, p. 132. 14 Seated Zouave (F 424 / JH 1488). 15 La rue par Jean-Franois Raffalli, Raffalli16 illustrations lithographed by S. Krakow17, accompany an article by Flicien Champsaur18 about Paris street life, published in Le Figaro. Supplement Litteraire 14 (3 March 1888), no. 9, pp. 1-4. There are 26 drawings altogether; by Place Clichy Van Gogh must have meant the large illustration at the top of p. 2. Ill. 1231, Ill. 1234, Ill. 2283, and Ill. 2284. 19 Caran dAche20s contribution was Le Grand Prix dans lantiquit, in Le Figaro. Supplment Littraire 14 (9 June 1888), no. 23, pp. 89-91. 4 To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Thursday, 21 June 1888.

puisque pour ces tudes des bls et de zouaves jai mang pas mal de tubes. Seulement un tiers ou la moiti est press. 21 Parmi les tudes des bls il y a les meules, dont je tai envoy la premire ide, [1r:4] sur une toile carre de 30. 23 Nous avons de ces deux derniers jours une pluie torrentielle qui dure toute la journe et changera laspect des champs. Cela est venu dune faon absolument inattendue et brusque. pendant que tout le monde tait la moisson. On a rentr le bl tel quel en grande partie.24 Jespre faire un tour dans la Camargue vendredi prochain avec un vtrinaire, 25 l il y a des taureaux et des chevaux blancs presque sauvages, des flamants roses aussi. Je ne serais pas tonn du tout si cetait trs beau. La toile nest pas presse absolument non plus. Je suis bien curieux de ce que fera Gauguin mais pour oser lengager venir non car je ne sais plus si cela lui irait. Et peuttre vu sa grande famille cest plutt de son devoir de risquer en effet des grands coups pour gagner de quoi se remettre la tte de sa famille. Je ne voudrais pas diminuer une personalit par une association en tout cas et si lui se sent lenvie de tenter ce coup en question il peut avoir des raisons et je ne voudrais pas len detourner si en effet il y tiendrait. Ce qui reste voir et ce que peuttre paratra dans sa rponse. A bientt jespre. Poigne de main et merci du journal et bien du succs avec ton exposition. b. . t. Quest ce que fait le pre Tanguy, est-ce que tu las revu dernirement. cel mest toujours bon de lui demander

21 Van Gogh had enclosed a paint order for Tasset22 with letter 613. He had split it in two, and in letter 617 he reported that he had received part of it. The consignment Van Gogh says here he received two weeks ago in other words on or about 8 June was probably the second part of that order. It can be inferred from the end of the paragraph and the reference to the canvas in l. 108 that he had sent another order with this letter. 23 Vincent had sent the drawing Wheat stacks (F 1425 / JH 1441) to Theo (letter 625). This was the first idea for the painting Wheat stacks (F 425 / JH 1442). 24 LHomme de Bronze reported on this in the Chronique locale of 24 June and 8 July 1888 (quoted in exhib. cat. New York 1984, p. 261). 25 There were three vets in Arles in 1888: Arnaud, 14 rampe du Pont; Autheman, Casimir, 5 place du Forum; and Raynaud, 8 rue de la Cavalerie (Lindicateur marseillais 1888). This was probably Antoine Raynaud, who was a military vet working in the stud farm attached to the barracks. Van Gogh would most likely have made his acquaintance through Second Lieutenant Milliet26 or the Zouave who was sitting for him at this time. The plan to visit the Camargue did not go ahead (see letter 636); cf. however also letter 657, where he writes of a trip around various farms. To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Thursday, 21 June 1888. 5 de la couleur, mme si chez lui elle soit un tant soit peu plus mauvaise pourvu pourtant quil ne soit pas trop cher . 27

Translation [1r:1] My dear Theo, Ive just read Geffroy30s article on Claude Monet31.32 What he says is really very good. How Id love to see that exhibition! If I console myself for not seeing it, its because when I look around me there are many things in nature that hardly leave me time to think about anything else. Because its harvest time just now. I had a letter from Bernard36, who says he feels very isolated but works all the same and has written a new poem about himself in which he makes fun of himself in a rather touching way. And he asks: whats the use of working? But he asks that while working; he tells himself that works of no use whatsoever, while working which is not at all the same thing as saying it while not working. Id very much like to see what hes doing. Im curious to know what Gauguin37 will do, and if Bernard38 wont go to join him in Pont-Aven; I already gave each of them the others address a while ago, because they could need one another.39 Ive had a week of concentrated hard work in the wheatfields right out in the sun, the result was some studies of wheatfields, landscapes41 and a sketch of a sower. In a ploughed field, a large field of clods of purple earth rising towards the horizon a sower in blue and white. On the horizon a field of short, ripe wheat. [1v:2] Above all that a yellow sky with a yellow sun.42 You can sense from the mere nomenclature of the tonalities that colour plays a very important role in this composition. And the sketch as such a no. 25 canvas also worries me a lot, in the sense that I wonder whether I shouldnt take it seriously and make a tremendous painting out of it. My God, how Id

27 See cat. Amsterdam 2011 for the difference in prices at Tanguy28s and Tasset29s. 30 Gustave Geffroy (1855-1926) French writer 31 Claude Oscar Monet (1840-1926) French artist 32 Gustave Geffroy33, Dix tableaux de Claude Monet, La Justice 9 (17 June 1888), no. 3077, pp. 1-2. It emerges from a letter the art critic Gustave Geffroy wrote to Theo on 29 May 1888 that he was planning an article on Van Gogh, for which he evidently wanted to use quotations from the letters to Bernard34: In few days time, I should be grateful if you would come to Tanguy35s with me, so that I can finish looking at your brother-in-laws [read: brothers] work and making my notes. Thank Mr Bernard, please, for the extracts from the letters, which will be returned to him faithfully (Dans quelques jours, je vous demanderai de bien vouloir venir avec moi chez Tanguy, o jachverai de voir loeuvre de votre beau-frre et de prendre mes notes. Remerciez M. Bernard, je vous prie, pour les extraits de lettres, qui lui seront rendues fidlement) (FR b1199). 36 Emile Bernard (1868-1941) French artist and writer 37 Paul (Eugne Henri) Gauguin (1848-1903) French artist 38 Emile Bernard (1868-1941) French artist and writer 39 Bernard40 went to Pont-Aven in August: see letter 664, n. 2.

41 Van Gogh says that he had been working in the wheatfields for a week. Given that it started raining on 20 June (see Date) he must have begun around 14 June, in other words after finishing The harvest (F 412 / JH 1440). He had already told Theo about that painting at length (see letters 623 and 625). The studies of wheatfields he refers to here are Wheatfield with setting sun (F 465 / JH 1473), Wheatfield (F 411 / JH 1476), Arles seen from the wheatfields (F 545 / JH 1477), Wheatfield with sheaves (F 561 / JH 1480), Wheatfield with sheaves (F 558 / JH 1481) and Wheat stacks (F 425 / JH 1442), which is not a wheatfield, but which Van Gogh includes later in the letter among the studies of wheatfields. He had painted Wheatfield (F 564 / JH 1475) previously as a preparatory study for The harvest (F 412 / JH 1440); see letter 623, n. 10. Wheat stacks with reaper (F 559 / JH 1479) was previously regarded as one of the Arles works, but is now placed in the Auvers period. See exhib. cat. Bremen 2002, p. 140, cat. no. 48. 42 Sower with setting sun (F 422 / JH 1470). Van Gogh describes the painting at an earlier stage; he worked on it again soon afterwards (see letter 634). 6 To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Thursday, 21 June 1888.

love to do that. But I just wonder whether Ill have the necessary power of execution. Im putting the sketch aside just as it is, hardly daring to think about it. For such a long time its been my great desire to do a sower,43 but the desires Ive had for a long time arent always achieved. So Im almost afraid of them. And yet, after Millet44 and Lhermitte45 what remains to be done is... the sower, with colour and in a large format.46 Lets talk about something else. I have a model at last a Zouave hes a lad with a small face, the [1v:3] neck of a bull, the eye of a tiger, and I started doing one portrait and started again on another. The bust-length I painted of him was terribly hard.49 In a uniform the blue of blue enamel saucepans, with dull orange-red trimmings and two lemon-yellow stars on his chest, a common blue and very hard to do. Ive stuck his very tanned, feline head, wearing a bright red cap, in front of a door painted green and the orange bricks of a wall. So its a coarse combination of disparate tones that isnt easy to handle the study I did of it seems very hard to me, and yet Id always like to work on portraits that are vulgar, even garish like that one. It teaches me, and thats what I ask of my work above all. And now the second portrait will be seated; full length, against a white wall.50 Did you notice Dessins Raffalli51 La rue, published recently by Le Figaro? The main ones just like place Clichy, with all its bustle, its really alive.52 Figaro must also have published an issue with drawings by Caran dAche56.57 In my last letter I forgot to tell you that I received a fortnight ago now the consignment of colours from Tasset59. Im badly in need of a new consignment because for these studies of wheatfields and Zouaves Ive eaten up plenty of tubes. Only a third or half is urgent.60 Among the studies of wheatfields theres the wheat stacks, for which Ive sent you the first idea, [1r:4] on a square no. 30 canvas.62 The past two days weve had torrential rain that lasts all day and will change the appearance of the fields. It came absolutely unexpectedly and suddenly, while everyone was out harvesting. They got most of the wheat in just as it was.63

43 The subject of the sower had already occupied Van Gogh when he was in the Netherlands. See exhib. cat. Paris 1998, pp. 90-105, for an overview. 44 Jean-Franois Millet (1814-1875) French artist 45 Lon Augustin Lhermitte (1844-1925) French artist 46 Van Gogh is referring here to Millet47s painting The sower, which he had repeatedly copied from prints in his early years as an artist, and to Lon Augustin Lhermitte48s drawing of the same title, Le semeur (The sower), which he knew from an engraving in Le Monde Illustr. See letters 156, n. 3 and 545, n. 8. 49 Zouave (F 423 / JH 1486). A Zouave was a French infantryman trained to serve in Africa. The sitters uniform tells us that he was a soldier and trumpeter in the third regiment. See cat. Amsterdam 2007, p. 132. 50 Seated Zouave (F 424 / JH 1488). 51 Jean-Franois Raffalli (1850-1924) French artist 52 La rue par Jean-Franois Raffalli, Raffalli53 illustrations lithographed by S. Krakow54, accompany an article by Flicien Champsaur55 about Paris street life, published in Le Figaro. Supplement Litteraire 14 (3 March 1888), no. 9, pp. 1-4. There are 26 drawings altogether; by Place Clichy Van Gogh must have meant the large illustration at the top of p. 2. Ill. 1231, Ill. 1234, Ill. 2283, and Ill. 2284. 56 Emmanuel Poir (Caran d’Ache) (1859-1909) French artist 57 Caran dAche58s contribution was Le Grand Prix dans lantiquit, in Le Figaro. Supplment Littraire 14 (9 June 1888), no. 23, pp. 89-91. 59 Guillaume Charles Tasset (1843-1925) seller of artists’ materials in Paris 60 Van Gogh had enclosed a paint order for Tasset61 with letter 613. He had split it in two, and in letter 617 he reported that he had received part of it. The consignment Van Gogh says here he received two weeks ago in other words on or about 8 June was probably the second part of that order. It can be inferred from the end of the paragraph and the reference to the canvas in l. 108 that he had sent another order with this letter. 62 Vincent had sent the drawing Wheat stacks (F 1425 / JH 1441) to Theo (letter 625). This was the first idea for the painting Wheat stacks (F 425 / JH 1442). 63 LHomme de Bronze reported on this in the Chronique locale of 24 June and 8 July 1888 (quoted in exhib. cat. New York 1984, p. 261). To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Thursday, 21 June 1888. 7

Im hoping to do a tour in the Camargue next Friday, with a vet,64 there are bulls and almost wild white horses there, pink flamingos too. I wouldnt be at all surprised if it was very beautiful. The canvas isnt at all urgent either. Im very curious to know what Gauguin66 will do, but to dare to urge him to come no because Im no longer sure if that would sit well with him. And perhaps given his large family its more his duty in fact to risk some big affairs in order to earn the money to put him at the head of his family again. I should in any case not like to diminish an individual through an association, and if he feels the desire to try this affair in question he may have his reasons and I wouldnt like to deflect him from it if in fact he were to be keen on it. Which remains to be seen and which will perhaps emerge from his reply. More soon, I hope. Handshake, and thanks for the newspaper, and great success with your exhibition. Yours truly, Vincent Whats pre Tanguy67 doing, have you seen him recently? Its still fine by me to ask him for paint, even if his isnt quite as good, but only as long as its not too expensive. 68

64 There were three vets in Arles in 1888: Arnaud, 14 rampe du Pont; Autheman, Casimir, 5 place du Forum; and Raynaud, 8 rue de la Cavalerie (Lindicateur marseillais 1888). This was probably Antoine Raynaud, who was a military vet working in the stud farm attached to the barracks. Van Gogh would most likely have made his acquaintance through Second Lieutenant Milliet65 or the Zouave who was sitting for him at this time. The plan to visit the Camargue did not go ahead (see letter 636); cf. however also letter 657, where he writes of a trip around various farms. 66 Paul (Eugne Henri) Gauguin (1848-1903) French artist 67 Julien Franois Tanguy (pre Tanguy) (1825-1894) seller of artists’ materials in Paris 68 See cat. Amsterdam 2011 for the difference in prices at Tanguy69s and Tasset70s.