Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (c. 1 April 1885) ... the first days; it was the same with me.
Indeed, those were days we shall not easily forget. And yet
the total impression was not terrible, only solemn. Life is not
long for anybody, and the problem is only to make something of
it.
Today I painted better again; the first two heads turned out
badly, today's is a young girl's, almost a child's head. As to
colour, it is a contrast of bright red with pale green against
the flesh colour of the little face, there is already a head
like it among those you took with you .
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Wilhelmina van Gogh (c. 28 February 1888) ... considering them harmful insects.
But for parallel reasons I have little confidence in the
correctness of our human concepts of a future life. We are as
little able to judge of our own metamorphoses without bias and
prematureness as the white salad grubs can of theirs, for the
very cogent reason that the salad worms ought to eat salad
roots in the very interest of their higher development.
In the same way I think that a painter ought to paint
pictures; possibly something else may come after that.
You see that I have penetrated some greater distance into
the South -
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (28 May 1888) ... a year. And that's no good to anyone.
My dear fellow, the Moslem idea that death comes only when
it must - but that is a question - for my part I think that we
have no proof of any direct management from above in this
matter. On the contrary, I think there is proof that good
hygiene not only prolongs life, but above all can make it more
serene, a clearer stream; whereas bad hygiene not only muddies
the current of life, but that in addition the absolute lack of
it may put an end to life before its time. Didn't I myself see
a very fine man die before my eyes for want of an intelligent
doctor; he was so calm and serene through it all, but he kept
on saying, “If only I had another doctor,” and he
died with a shrug of the shoulders and a look I shall never
forget.
Would you like me to go to America with you? It would be
only fair for these people to pay my passage.
I am indifferent to most things, but not to this - that you
should first of all really regain...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (c. 9 July 1888) ... not perhaps the hardest thing there is.
For my own part, I declare I know nothing whatever about it.
But to look at the stars always makes me dream, as simply as I
dream over the black dots of a map representing towns and
villages. Why, I ask myself, should the shining dots of the sky
not be as accessible as the black dots on the map of France? If
we take the train to get to Tarascon or Rouen, we take death to
reach a star. One thing undoubtedly true in this reasoning is
this: that while we are alive we cannot get to a star, any more
than when we are dead we can take the train.
So it doesn't seem impossible to me that cholera, gravel, pleurisy
& cancer are the means of celestial locomotion, just as
steam-boats, omnibuses and railways are the terrestrial means.
To die quietly of old age would be to go there on foot.
Now I am going to bed, because it is late, and I wish you
good night and good luck.
A handshake, Yours
Vincent
...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (31 July 1888) ... My dear Theo,
So at last our uncle's sufferings are over. I received the
news this morning from our sister. It appears that they were
more or less expecting you to be at the funeral, so perhaps you
will indeed be there.
How short life is and how like smoke. Which is no reason for
despising the living, on the contrary.
So we are right to care more for the artists than for the
pictures.
I am working hard for Russell, I thought that I would do him
a series of drawings after my painted studies; I believe that
he will look upon them kindly, and that, at least I hope so,
will help to bring him to make a deal.
McKnight came again yesterday to see me, and he also liked
the portrait of the girl , and said besides
that he liked my Garden . I really do not know if he has money
or not.
I am now at work with another model, a postman in a blue
uniform trimmed with gold, a big bearded face, very like
Socrates . A violent Republican like Tanguy. A
man more...
