On Sunday, 6 July, a conversation took place in Theo and Jo’s apartment at which Andries Bonger and Vincent were also present. Bonger—Jo’s brother, and a friend of Theo—had declared his unwillingness to enter into a business partnership, thus dashing Theo’s hopes of setting up as an independent dealer. The discussion must have been very heated.
Loneliness and Gloom
Van Gogh, anxious and downcast, returned to Auvers and set to work immediately, in an attempt to give vent to his feelings:
[O]nce back here I set to work again—the brush however almost falling from my hands and—knowing clearly what I wanted I’ve painted another three large canvases since then. They’re immense stretches of wheatfields under turbulent skies, and I made a point of trying to express sadness, extreme loneliness. . . . I hope to bring them to you in Paris as soon as possible, since I’d almost believe that these canvases will tell you what I can’t say in words, what I consider healthy and fortifying about the countryside. (898)
Nature as a refuge, art as consolation. The letters exchanged by the brothers in these weeks of July reveal that Theo and Jo were less concerned about their future than Vincent was, and that they did their best to reassure him. In spite of this, Vincent was afraid: ‘I feared—not completely—but a little nonetheless—that I was a danger to you, living at your expense’ (898).
On Sunday, 27 July 1890, Van Gogh went to paint in the fields outside Auvers. At some point he decided to put an end to his life. The immediate cause and precise circumstances are unknown, but it is clear that he had little faith in the future, despite his passion for work. He shot himself in the chest with a pistol (it is not known how he got hold of it) and lost consciousness. When he came round, he managed somehow to return to the inn where he was living. Help was summoned, but nothing could be done to prevent his death in the early morning of 29 July.
Theo was at Vincent’s deathbed, a broken man. He arranged for his brother’s body to be put in a coffin, surrounded by his paintings and sunflowers. A dozen friends and acquaintances from Paris attended the funeral the following day at the small cemetery in the field outside Auvers.
After Vincent’s death, Theo had a mission: to cultivate understanding and appreciation for his brother’s work. His poor health got the better of him, however. In October 1890 Theo became mentally deranged as a result of advanced untreated syphilis. He was hospitalized and later transferred to a clinic in Utrecht, where he died in January 1891, only six months after Vincent. Jo van Gogh-Bonger subsequently devoted herself to promoting her brother-in-law’s reputation, and in 1914 she published Vincent’s letters to Theo. That same year she had her husband’s remains reburied in Auvers, in a grave next to his brother’s (fig. 21).
21. The graves of Vincent and Theo van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise
Letters with a History
The surviving correspondence of Vincent van Gogh, which begins in 1872 and ends in 1890, comprises 903 letters. They offer a detailed view of his life, his vision of existence, the genesis of his works and the evolution of his artistic ideas. Even in his lifetime, Van Gogh had begun to gain a reputation among a small group of artists and progressive art critics. The growth in popularity of Van Gogh’s paintings shortly after his death coincided with a growing interest in his correspondence. Those who laid eyes on his extraordinary letters understood that not only did they testify to a remarkable talent for writing and a keen eye, but they also shed a great deal of light on his artistic notions and intentions.
Short quotations from the letters, some of which were written in Dutch and others in French, were published as early as 1892 in the catalogue of the Van Gogh exhibition at the Kunstzaal Panorama in Amsterdam, organized by the artist Richard Roland Holst. In August 1893 longer fragments appeared in the avant-garde magazine Van Nu en Straks. Meanwhile Van Gogh’s friend Emile Bernard had begun in April 1893 to publish passages from the letters written in French in the Mercure de France, the leading French magazine for art and literature—a project that continued, with interruptions, until August 1897. This series was hugely important in generating interest not only in Van Gogh as an artist but also in his letters as biographical source material par excellence.
The above-mentioned letter fragments were translated into German and published in 1904–5 by Bruno Cassirer in Berlin in the magazine Kunst und Künstler, after which they appeared in book form in a volume that was reprinted many times. In the Netherlands, Van Gogh’s letters to Anthon van Rappard were published in 1905, and those to Emile Bernard appeared in a luxury edition in 1911 in France.
The public at large finally discovered that Van Gogh was an exceptional letter writer with the appearance in 1914 of Brieven aan zijn broeder (Letters to his brother), a three-volume publication in Dutch edited by Theo’s widow, Jo van Gogh-Bonger. Published almost simultaneously in German, it was subsequently translated, in whole or in part, into many other languages. Aside from several family letters, Jo included only the letters from Vincent to Theo (and to herself, after her marriage to Theo in 1889).
In the intervening period Jo had made a vital contribution to the recognition of Van Gogh’s work, for as the keeper of a considerable part of his oeuvre, she had devoted herself from the very beginning to exhibiting and selling his drawings and paintings. (All of the Van Goghs in the family collection had passed by descent to Jo and Theo’s son, Vincent Willem van Gogh, but because he was still underage, Jo, his legal guardian, administered these holdings.) Jo saw the letters primarily as a means of becoming acquainted with Van Gogh the man, and her introduction to the publication was therefore biographical in nature.
Jo van Gogh-Bonger’s edition laid the foundation for the study of Van Gogh’s life and work. In all honesty it must be said, however, that she published the letters at her own discretion, omitting—in the early letters in particular—passages that were repetitive or potentially embarrassing to family members who were still living. In a number of cases she put the letters in the wrong order, and occasionally she inserted loose pages incorrectly.
In 1952–54 an improved and considerably enlarged four-volume edition was published: Verzamelde brieven (Collected letters), edited by Vincent Willem, who had meanwhile become the keeper of the family collection. Since the appearance of the publication edited by his mother, some previously unknown letters had been published in magazines and separate editions, such as Van Gogh’s letters to his sister Willemien, Theo’s letters to Vincent and the letters from and to Paul Gauguin. Verzamelde brieven was thus a compilation of all the correspondence known at the time. It is this edition that would become, for more than half a century, the basis of numerous publications worldwide; it also formed the foundation of the rapidly developing field of Van Gogh research in the last quarter of the twentieth century.
In the meantime Van Gogh’s renown had attained great heights, and a broad public had become interested not just in his work but also in his life and letters. Irving Stone’s novel Lust for Life (1934) gave great impetus to this development, and Vincente Minelli’s film version (1956) defined the picture of Van Gogh’s life and suffering for decades. Exhibitions in Europe, the United States and Japan drew large crowds of admirers. As part of Van Gogh’s ever-growing fame, his letters were recognized as literary texts in their own right. The man who achieved renown as a pioneering painter and draughtsman has also come to be seen in recent decades as a gifted writer. Indeed, in many people’s eyes his document humain, which was never intended for publication, is a highlight of world literature.
Yet another edition, considerably expanded but published only in Dutch, appeared in 1990. This was followed in 2009 by the scholarly edition Vincent van Gogh—The Letters: The Complete Illustrated and Annotated Edition. This was the result of a research project lasting fifteen years, carried out by a team of editors and Van Gogh specialists at the Van Gogh Museum, in collaboration with Huygens ING (at that time called the Constantijn Huygens Institute for Text Editions and Intellectual History) of the Royal Netherlan
ds Academy of Arts and Sciences. It was the first annotated edition, and appeared both on the Internet (www.vangoghletters.org) and in printed form (in Dutch, French and English editions). Not only were all the letters retranscribed from the original manuscripts, but they were also fully annotated (although the notes were abridged for the printed edition) and illustrated with virtually every artwork mentioned, whether by Van Gogh or other artists. Accuracy and completeness were top priorities.
The present anthology is based on the complete edition of 2009; the same editors are responsible for the selection and the introduction. Since the wide dissemination of Van Gogh’s correspondence, his fame rests in equal measure on his paintings, his life story and his letters. No article, book, catalogue, exhibition or film in which Van Gogh figures—let alone stars—can afford to ignore his letters. This explains the importance of publishing them, again and again, according to the latest insights, for the wide range of readers intent on delving into the unique realm of thought of an artist who is still a guiding light of modern art.
Note to the Reader
This anthology contains 265 of Vincent van Gogh’s letters, nearly a third of all the surviving letters penned by the artist. This extensive selection has been drawn from the source documents, published in their entirety with illustrations and annotations in the online scientific edition at www.vangoghletters.org (first published in 2009 and regularly updated). The web edition is the end result of the Van Gogh Letters Project (1994–2009), a collaboration between the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Huygens ING (a division of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) in The Hague. This project also resulted in the printed publication of Van Gogh’s complete letters in 2009, published in Dutch, English and French with abridged annotations.
Readers requiring additional information about specific people, the places where Van Gogh stayed, the family history, quotes he uses, references to his own work and works by others, the grounds for dating the letters and so forth are directed to the online edition mentioned above. The web edition also features the complete transcripts of all of Van Gogh’s letters in the original language.
The letters in this anthology are presented as Van Gogh wrote them, staying true to the original composition and style. The letters are presented in chronological order. The letter numbers (given within parentheses in the introduction) refer to the web edition. (D), (F) and (E) refer to the original language of the letter: Dutch, French or English.
Van Gogh’s distinctive manner of accentuating text by underlining words (sometimes several times), making them larger or loading his pen with extra ink has been rendered in this anthology through the use of italics, small capitals and regular capitals.
In his Dutch-language letters, Van Gogh often used French words and expressions, and he made extensive use of French and English prose passages, fragments from the Bible, and poetry. The original source texts are, alongside background information, available in the web edition.
Pages of letters selected for this anthology that feature sketches are reproduced as whole pages.
The Hague, 29 September 1872–17 March 1873
1 | The Hague, Sunday, 29 September 1872 | To Theo van Gogh (D)
[The Hague, 29 September 187]2.
My dear Theo,
Thanks for your letter, I was glad to hear that you got back safely. I missed you the first few days, and it was strange for me not to find you when I came home in the afternoon.
We spent some pleasant days together, and actually did go for some walks and see a thing or two whenever we had the chance.
What terrible weather, you must feel anxious on your walks to Oisterwijk. Yesterday there were trotting races on the occasion of the exhibition, but the illumination and fireworks were postponed because of the bad weather, so it’s just as well you didn’t stay to see them. Regards from the Haanebeeks and the Rooses. Ever,
Your loving
Vincent
3 | The Hague, mid-January 1873 | To Theo van Gogh (D)
The Hague, January 1873
My dear Theo,
I heard from home that you arrived safe and sound in Brussels, and that your first impression was good.
I understand completely how strange it will be in the beginning, but be of good heart, you’ll surely succeed. You must write to me soon about how things are going and how your boarding-house suits you.
I hope that the latter will be all right. Pa wrote that you’re good friends with Schmidt. Bravo, I think he’s a fine fellow, and one who’ll be sure to show you the ropes.
How pleasant those days at Christmas were, I think of them so often; they’ll also long be remembered by you, as they were also your last days at home. You must write to me in particular about what kind of paintings you see and what you find beautiful.
I’m busy now at the beginning of the year. My new year began well, I was given a monthly rise of 10 guilders, so I now earn 50 guilders a month, and on top of that I received a 50-guilder bonus. Isn’t that wonderful? I now hope to be entirely self-supporting.
I’m really very happy that you’re also part of this firm. It’s such a fine firm, the longer one is part of it the more enthusiastic one becomes.
The beginning is perhaps more difficult than in other jobs, but keep your chin up and you’ll get along.
Do ask Schmidt what the ‘Album Corot. lithographies par Emile Vernier’ costs. We’ve been asked about it in the shop, and I know it’s in stock in Brussels.
The next time I write I’ll send you my portrait; I had it taken last Sunday.
Have you been to the Palais Ducal yet? Do go when you get the chance.
How is Uncle Hein? I feel so sorry for him, and hope so much that he’ll get better. Give him and Aunt my warm regards.
Did Uncle Cent stop off at Brussels?
Well, old chap, keep well, all your acquaintances here send their regards and hope things will go well for you. Bid good-day to Schmidt and Eduard for me, and let me hear from you soon.
Adieu
Your loving brother
Vincent.
You know that my address is Lange Beestenmarkt 32 or Maison Goupil & Cie, Plaats.
5 | The Hague, Monday, 17 March 1873 | To Theo van Gogh (D)
The Hague, 17 March 1873
My dear Theo,
It’s time you heard from me again, and I’m also longing to hear how you are and how Uncle Hein is doing, so I hope you’ll write to me when you can find the time.
You’ll have heard that I’m going to London, and probably very soon. I do hope we’ll be able to see each other before then.
I’ll go to Helvoirt at Easter if I possibly can, but it will depend on the nouveautés that Iterson takes along on his trip. I won’t be able to leave until he gets back.
Life in L. will be very different for me, for I’ll probably have to live alone in lodgings, and will therefore have to deal with many things that I needn’t trouble myself with now.
I’m looking forward to seeing L. very much, as you can imagine, and yet I’m sorry to have to leave this place. I’m only just noticing how attached I am to The Hague, now that it’s been decided I must go away. Still, it can’t be helped, and I intend not to take things too hard. I think it’s wonderful for my English, which I understand well, though I don’t speak it nearly as well as I’d like.
I heard from Anna that you had your portrait taken. If you can spare another, I commend myself.
How is Uncle Hein? Certainly no better, and how is Aunt doing? Can Uncle keep himself occupied, and is he in a lot of pain? Give them my warm regards, I think of them so often.
How is business with you? It must be busy, as it is here. You probably know your way around by now.
How is your boarding-house? Is it still to your liking? That’s important. Above all, you must write more about the kind of things you see. Sunday a fortnight ago I was in Amsterdam to see an exhibition of the paintings going to Vienna from here. It was very interesting, and I’m curious as
to the impression the Dutch will make in Vienna.
I’m very curious about the English painters, we see so little of them, because almost everything stays in England.
Goupil has no gallery in London; they only supply the trade.
Uncle Cent is coming here at the end of the month, I’m longing to hear more from him.
The Haanebeeks and Aunt Fie ask after you constantly, and send you their regards.
What wonderful weather we’ve been having, I’m taking advantage of it as much as I can. Last Sunday I went rowing with Willem. How much I’d have liked to stay here this summer, but we must take things as they come. And now, adieu, I wish you well, and write to me. Bid good-day to Uncle and Aunt, Schmidt and Eduard from me. As to Easter, I’m just hoping. Ever,
Your loving brother
Vincent
Mr and Mrs Roos and Willem also send you their regards.
I just received your letter, for which I thank you. I’m very pleased with the portrait, it turned out well. If I hear anything more about my trip to Helvoirt I’ll write to you immediately. It would be nice if we could arrive on the same day. Adieu.
Theo, I must again recommend that you start smoking a pipe. It does you a lot of good when you’re out of spirits, as I quite often am nowadays.
London, 13 June 1873–8 May 1875
9 | London, Friday, 13 June 1873 | To Theo van Gogh (D)
London, 13 June 1873.
My dear Theo,
You’re probably longing to hear from me, so I don’t want to keep you waiting for a letter any longer.
I heard from home that you’re now staying with Mr Schmidt, and that Pa has been to see you. I sincerely hope that this will be more to your liking than your previous boarding-house, and don’t doubt that it will be. Write to me soon, I’m longing to hear from you, and tell me how you’re spending your days at present, &c. Write to me especially about the paintings you’ve seen recently, and also whether anything new has been published in the way of etchings or lithographs. You must keep me well informed about this, because here I don’t see much in that genre, as the firm here is just a stockroom.
Ever Yours Page 6