To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Monday, 6 August 1888.

Monday, 6 August 1888

Metadata

Source status: Original manuscript

Location: Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, inv. no. b559 V/1962

Date: Since Theo has already returned from attending Uncle Vincents funeral and has reported on it (ll. 1*-2) the letter must date from early August (Uncle Vincent died on Saturday, 28 July). The letter was written on a Monday (l. 28) and Vincent was going to pay the rent for August that day (ll. 26-27) as he had promised to do (see letter 654 of about 3 August). The letter must therefore have been written on Monday, 6 August 1888.

Additional: Original [1r:1] mon cher Theo, il me semble que tu aies bien fait de te rendre lenterrement de loncle puisque la mre semblait tattendre. le meilleur moyen de mourir autrement cest de gober lillustre dfunt tel quel comme tant le meilleur homme du meilleur des mondes possible o tout va toujours pour le mieux.1 Ce qui tant incontest et par consquent incontestable, il nous demeure aprs sans doute loisible de retourner nos affaires. Cela me fait plaisir que notre frre Cor soit devenu plus gros & plus fort que nous autres. Et il doit tre stupide sil ne se marie pas car il na que a et ses bras. Avec a et ses bras ou ses bras & a et ce quil sait des machines, 3 moi pour un voudrais tre sa place si javais des dsirs quelconques dtre quelquun.5 En attendant je suis dans ma peau et ma peau dans lengrenage des Beaux Arts comme le grain entre les meules.

1 See letter 568, n. 3, for this quotation from Voltaire2s Candide . 3 Cor4 had been apprenticed to an engineering works in Helmond (see letters 443, n. 3 and 471, n. 6), and had been working for a similar company in Lincoln, England, since 1887. 5 See letter 550, n. 12, for the expression to be someone, taken from Edmond de Goncourt6s Chrie .

1 2 To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Monday, 6 August 1888.

Tai je dit que jai envoy des dessins lami Russell.7 Dans ce moment je refais peu prs les mmes pour toi, il y en aura 12 galement.9 Tu vas voir mieux alors ce quil y a dans les tudes peintes comme dessin. Je tai dja dit que jai toujours lutter contre le mistral qui empche absolument dtre le maitre de sa touche . De l le hagard des tudes. Tu me diras quau lieu de les dessiner je devais les repeindre sur dautres toiles chez moi. Cest quoi je songe parfois car cest pas de ma faute que dans le cas donn lexcution manque de touche plus spirituelle. Quen dirait Gauguin sil tait ici, serait-il davis de chercher un endroit plus abrit? Je dois maintenant te dire une chse dsagrable encore pour largent, cest que je narriverai pas cette semaine car aujourdhui mme je paye 25 francs, 10 jaurai de largent pour 5 jours et pour sept non . Nous avons lundi si Samedi matin jai ta prochaine lettre, inutile daugmenter alors le contenu.[1v:2] Semaine derniere jai non seulement fait un mais meme deux portraits de mon facteur, un mi corps avec mains & une tte grandeur nature. 11 le bonhomme nacceptant pas dargent etait plus cher mangeant, buvant avec moi et je lui donne en outre La Lanterne de Rochefort.12 Enfin voila un mal faible et sans importance en comparaison de ce quil a fort bien pos cela, 15 et que je compte aussi peindre son nouveau n sous peu. Car sa femme vient daccoucher. Je tenverrai en mme temps que les dessins que jai en train deux lithographies de de Lemud, le vin et le caf;16 dans le vin il y a un espce de Mfisto qui fait un peu penser C.M. plus jeune, et dans le caf .. cest absolument Raoul tu sais cet espce dtudiant vieux bohme encore que jai connu lanne passe.18 Quel talent la Hoffmann ou Edgard Poe19 il a ce de Lemud. En voil un dont on parle si rarement pourtant. Tu naimeras peut tre pas normement ces lithographies premire vue mais cest justement en les regardant plus longtemps que cela gagne. Je nai plus ni toile ni couleurs & ai deja d acheter ici. Et il me faut encore en reprendre. Je te prie donc denvoyer ta lettre de faon que je laie Samedi matin. Je vais aujourdhui probablement commencer

7 See letter 654, n. 1, for the 12 drawings for Russell8. 9 See letters 657 and 663 for this batch of drawings for Theo. 10 Van Gogh had had to ask the landlord for more time to pay (see letter 654). The rent for the Yellow House was 15 francs a month (see letter 664). 11 Joseph Roulin (F 432 / JH 1522) and Joseph Roulin (F 433 / JH 1524). 12 Exactly what Van Gogh gave Roulin13 is not clear. It may have been one or more copies of the popular political satire weekly La Lanterne, founded by Henri Rochefort14, which appeared in 1868 and 1869, or of the radical socialist anticlerical daily of the same title, which had been published since 1877 and with which Rochefort was associated for some time. See Henri Rochefort, Nouma to Newcastle. The story of an escape. Translated from the French by Kenneth R. Dutton. Newcastle 2002. Introduction, p. 1. 15 Read as (figurative) direct object with pose. 16 The two lithographs (pendants) Le caf (The coffee) and Le vin (The wine) by Aim de Lemud17 were published in Paris by Goupil and Vibert (Paris, BNF, Cabinet des Estampes). Ill. 2215 and Ill. 1047. 18 Nothing is known about this Raoul, whom Van Gogh met in Paris. 19 Van Gogh likewise bracketed the writers Hoffmann20 and Poe21 together in letter 361. A mysterious, demonic atmosphere permeates their fantastic tales. To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Monday, 6 August 1888. 3 lintrieur du caf o je loge, le soir au gaz. 22 Cest ce quon appelle ici un caf de nuit (ils sont assez frquents ici) qui restent ouverts toute la nuit. Les rodeurs de nuit peuvent y trouver un asile donc, lorsquils nont pas de quoi se payer un logement ou quils soient trop souls pour y tre admis. [1v:3] Toutes ces chses, famille, patrie, sont peutetre plus charmantes dans limagination de tels que nous qui nous passons passablement bien de patrie ainsi que de famille que dans aucune ralit. Il me semble toujours tre un voyageur qui va quelque part & une destination. Si je me dis, le quelque part, la destination nexistent point, cela me semble bien raisonn et vridique. Le souteneur du bordel lorsquil fout quelquun la porte en a une pareille de logique, raisonne bien aussi et a toujours raison. Je le sais. Aussi la fin de la carrire jaurai tort. Que soit. Je trouverai alors que non seulement les beaux arts mais le reste aussi ntaient que des rves, que soi-mme on tait rien du tout. Si nous sommes si lgers que a tant mieux pour nous, rien ne sopposant alors la possibilit illimite dexistence future. Do vient que dans le cas prsent de la mort de notre oncle le visage du mort tait calme, serein et grave. Lorsque cest un fait que vivant il ntait gure ainsi ni tant jeune ni vieux. Si souvent jai constat un effet comme cela en regardant un mort comme pour linterroger. Et cela est pour moi une preuve non pas la plus srieuse dune existence doutre tombe. Un enfant dans le berceau egalement, si on le regarde son aise, a linfini dans les yeux. En somme je nen sais rien mais justement ce sentiment de ne pas savoir rend la vie reelle que nous vivons actuellement comparable un simple trajet en chemin de fer. On marche vite mais ne distingue aucun objet de trs prs et surtout on ne voit pas la locomotive. Il est assez curieux que notre oncle comme notre pere croyaient la vie future. Sans parler de notre pre jai plusieurs fois entendu loncle raisonner l-dessus. [1r:4] Ah par exemple ils taient plus srs que nous et affirmaient, se fchant si on osait approfondir. La vie future des artistes par leurs oeuvres je nen vois pas grand chse. Oui les artistes se continuent en se passant le flambeau, Delacroix aux impressionistes &c. Mais est ce l tout? Si une bonne vieille mre de famille ides passablement bornes et martyrises dans le systme crtien serait immortelle ainsi quelle le croit et cela srieusement. Et moi pour un ny contredis point. Pourquoi un cheval de fiacre poitrinaire ou nerveux comme Delacroix et de Goncourt, aux idees larges cependant, le seraient ils moins. Vu quil parait que juste les gens les plus vids sentent natre cette indefinissable esprance. Suffit, quoi bon sen proccuper. Mais en vivant

22 Van Gogh put this plan into effect a month later; see letter 676. 4 To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Monday, 6 August 1888.

en pleine civilisation, en plein Paris et plein beaux arts, pourquoi ne garderait on pas ce moi de vieille femme. Si les femmes elles-mme sans leur croyance de ca y est instinctif ne trouveraient pas la force de crer et dagir. Alors les medecins nous diront que non seulement Moise, Mahomet, le Christ, Luther, Bunyan et autres etaient fous mais egalement Frans Hals, Rembrandt, Delacroix et egalement toutes les vieilles bonnes femmes bornees comme notre mre. Ah cest grave cela. On pourrait demander ces medecins o alors seraient les gens raisonables. Sont ce les souteneurs de bordel ayant toujours raison. Il est probable. Alors que choisir. heureusement il ny a pas choisir. Poigne de main & t. t. Vincent

Translation [1r:1] My dear Theo, It seems to me that you did well to go to our uncle23s funeral, as our mother24 seemed to expect you. The best way of dying otherwise is to esteem the illustrious departed just as he is, as being the best man in the best of possible worlds, where everything is always for the best.25 Which being uncontested and thus incontestable, we are then no doubt at liberty to return to our own business afterwards. Im pleased that our brother Cor27 has grown bigger and stronger than the two of us. And hell be stupid if he doesnt marry, because he has only that and his hands. With that and his hands, or his hands and that, and what he knows about machines,28 I for one would like to be in his position if I had any sort of desire to be somebody.30 Meanwhile, Im in my skin, and my skin in the gear-wheels of the Beaux-Arts like the grain between the millstones. Did I tell you that I sent some drawings to our friend Russell32?33 At the moment Im doing the same ones, more or less, for you; therell be 12 of them too.35 Youll see better then what there is in the painted studies in the way of drawing. Ive already told you that I always have to struggle against the mistral, which absolutely prevents one being in control of ones touch. Hence the wild look of the studies. Youll tell me that instead of drawing them I ought to repaint them at home on other canvases. Thats what I sometimes think about, because its not my fault that in the case given the execution lacks a more spiritual touch. What would Gauguin36 say about it if he was here? Would he be in favour of looking for a more sheltered place?

23 Vincent van Gogh (Uncle Vincent or Uncle Cent) (1820-1888) brother of Theodorus van Gogh, art dealer 24 Anna Cornelia van Gogh-Carbentus (1819-1907) wife of Theodorus van Gogh, mother of Vincent 25 See letter 568, n. 3, for this quotation from Voltaire26s Candide . 27 Cornelis (Cor) Vincent van Gogh (1867-1900) brother of Vincent 28 Cor29 had been apprenticed to an engineering works in Helmond (see letters 443, n. 3 and 471, n. 6), and had been working for a similar company in Lincoln, England, since 1887. 30 See letter 550, n. 12, for the expression to be someone, taken from Edmond de Goncourt31s Chrie . 32 John Peter Russell (1858-1930) Australian artist 33 See letter 654, n. 1, for the 12 drawings for Russell34. 35 See letters 657 and 663 for this batch of drawings for Theo. 36 Paul (Eugne Henri) Gauguin (1848-1903) French artist To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Monday, 6 August 1888. 5

I must now tell you something disagreeable again about money; its that I wont manage this week, because this very day I pay 25 francs;37 Ill have money for 5 days and not for seven. Its Monday if I have your next letter on Saturday morning, no need then to increase the contents. [1v:2] Last week I did not only one but even two portraits of my postman38, one half-length, with hands, and a life-size head.39 The chap, not accepting money, was more expensive, eating, drinking with me, and in addition I gave him Rochefort40s La Lanterne.41 But there you are, a minor and unimportant problem compared with the fact that he posed for it very well, and that I also plan to paint his newborn baby44 shortly. Because his wife45 has just given birth. At the same time as the drawings that I have on the go Ill send you two lithographs by De Lemud46, Wine and Coffee;47 in Wine theres a Mephisto character who makes you think a little of C.M.49 when younger, and in Coffee .. its absolutely Raoul you know that perpetual old bohemian student type whom I knew last year.50 What a talent, in the style of Hoffmann51 or Edgar Poe52,53 this De Lemud has. And yet theres somebody whos spoken of so rarely. Youll perhaps not like these lithographs very much at first glance but its precisely when looking at them longer that they grow on you. I have no more canvas or paint and have already had to buy here. And I have to get even more. So I beg you to send your letter so that I have it on Saturday morning. Today Im probably going to start on the interior of the caf where Im staying, in the evening, by gaslight.56 Its what they call a night caf here (theyre quite common here), that stay open all night. This way the night prowlers can find a refuge when they dont have the price of a lodging, or if theyre too drunk to be admitted. [1v:3] All these things, family, native country, are perhaps more appealing in the imagination of such as us who do fairly well without a native country, as well as a family than in any reality. It always seems to me that Im a traveller whos going somewhere and to a destination. If I say to myself, the somewhere, the destination dont exist at all, that seems well argued and truthful to me. When he kicks somebody out, the brothel-keeper has a logic of the same kind, argues well, too, and is always right. I know that. And at the end of my career Ill be wrong. So be it. Then Ill find that not only the fine arts but the rest as well were nothing but dreams, that we were nothing

37 Van Gogh had had to ask the landlord for more time to pay (see letter 654). The rent for the Yellow House was 15 francs a month (see letter 664). 38 Joseph Etienne Roulin (1841-1903) postal worker in Arles and Marseille 39 Joseph Roulin (F 432 / JH 1522) and Joseph Roulin (F 433 / JH 1524). 40 Victor Henri Marquis de Rochefort-Luay (1831-1913) French journalist 41 Exactly what Van Gogh gave Roulin42 is not clear. It may have been one or more copies of the popular political satire weekly La Lanterne, founded by Henri Rochefort43, which appeared in 1868 and 1869, or of the radical socialist anticlerical daily of the same title, which had been published since 1877 and with which Rochefort was associated for some time. See Henri Rochefort, Nouma to Newcastle. The story of an escape. Translated from the French by Kenneth R. Dutton. Newcastle 2002. Introduction, p. 1. 44 Marcelle Roulin (1888-1980) daughter of Joseph Roulin 45 Augustine Alex Roulin-Pelicot (1851-1930) wife of Joseph Roulin 46 Aim de Lemud (1816-1887) French artist 47 The two lithographs (pendants) Le caf (The coffee) and Le vin (The wine) by Aim de Lemud48 were published in Paris by Goupil and Vibert (Paris, BNF, Cabinet des Estampes). Ill. 2215 and Ill. 1047. 49 Cornelis (Cor) Marinus van Gogh (Uncle Cor or C.M.) (1824-1908) brother of Theodorus van Gogh, art dealer and bookseller in Amsterdam 50 Nothing is known about this Raoul, whom Van Gogh met in Paris. 51 Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776-1822) German writer 52 Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) American writer 53 Van Gogh likewise bracketed the writers Hoffmann54 and Poe55 together in letter 361. A mysterious, demonic atmosphere permeates their fantastic tales. 56 Van Gogh put this plan into effect a month later; see letter 676. 6 To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Monday, 6 August 1888.

at all ourselves. If were as lightweight as that, so much the better for us, as nothing would then stand in the way of the limitless possibility of future existence. Which is why in the present case of our uncle57s death, the dead mans face was tranquil, serene and grave. When its a fact that, while living, he was scarcely like that, neither when young nor when old. So often Ive noticed an effect like that when looking at a dead man as if to question him. And thats one proof for me not the most weighty of an existence beyond the grave. And a baby in its cradle, also, if you look at it at your ease, has the infinite in its eyes. In fact, I know nothing about it, but precisely this feeling of not knowing makes the real life that were living at present comparable to a simple journey by train. You go fast, but you cant distinguish any object very close up, and above all, you cant see the locomotive. Its rather odd that our uncle58, like our father59, believed in the future life. Not to mention [1r:4] our father, Ive heard our uncle debating it several times. Ah for example, they were more certain than us, and asserted themselves, getting angry if one dared go into it more deeply. I dont see much of the future life of artists through their works. Yes, artists perpetuate them- selves, passing on the torch, Delacroix60 to the Impressionists, &c. But is that all? If a kind old mother of a family, with pretty limited ideas that are tormented in the Christian system, were immortal, just as she believes and this seriously. And I for one in no way deny it. Why should a consumptive or nervous cab-horse, like Delacroix61 or De Goncourt62, with broad ideas though, be any less so? Seeing that it appears that it is precisely the most worn-out people who feel the germ of this indefinable hope. Thats enough, whats the use of worrying about it? But living in the heart of civilization, in the heart of Paris and the heart of the fine arts, why shouldnt one keep this self of an old woman? If women themselves, without their instinctive belief in an its there, wouldnt find the strength to create and to act? Then the doctors will tell us that not only Moses, Mohammed63, Christ, Luther64, Bunyan65 and others were mad, but also Frans Hals66, Rembrandt67, Delacroix68 and all the good, narrow- minded old ladies like our mother69 as well. Ah thats serious, that is. We could ask these doctors, where, then, are the sensible people? Are they, the brothel-keepers, always in the right? Its probable. What to choose, then? Fortunately we dont have to choose. Handshake and Ever yours,

57 Vincent van Gogh (Uncle Vincent or Uncle Cent) (1820-1888) brother of Theodorus van Gogh, art dealer 58 Vincent van Gogh (Uncle Vincent or Uncle Cent) (1820-1888) brother of Theodorus van Gogh, art dealer 59 Theodorus van Gogh (1822-1885) husband of Anna Cornelia van Gogh-Carbentus, father of Vincent, clergyman 60 Ferdinand Victor Eugne Delacroix (1798-1863) French artist 61 Ferdinand Victor Eugne Delacroix (1798-1863) French artist 62 Edmond de Goncourt (1822-1896) French writer 63 Mohammed (570-632) prophet 64 Martin Luther (1483-1546) German theologian 65 John Bunyan (1628-1688) English writer 66 Frans Hals (1581/85-1666) Dutch artist 67 Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) Dutch artist 68 Ferdinand Victor Eugne Delacroix (1798-1863) French artist 69 Anna Cornelia van Gogh-Carbentus (1819-1907) wife of Theodorus van Gogh, mother of Vincent To Theo van Gogh. Arles, Monday, 6 August 1888. 7

Vincent