Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (26 January 1882) ... days with fever and
nervousness, now and then accompanied by headache and
toothache. It is a miserable condition and is caused by
overexertion. Mauve has again been to see me, and once more we
agreed to keep up courage through all.
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (c. 28-30 December 1882) ... you come, you will see everything.
These days I am troubled with a bad toothache which
sometimes affects my right eye and ear; however, it may be
partly due to nerves. If one has toothache, one becomes
indifferent to many things, but it is curious that, for
instance, Daumier's drawings are so true that they almost make
one forget the toothache. I have two new prints of his,
“Un Train de Plaisir” [Excursion Train], travellers
with pale faces and black coats in rough weather arriving on
the platform too late, among them women with crying babies.
Do you know the little book Croquis à la Plume
[Pen-and-ink Drawings], written by the draughtsman Henri
Monnier (who created Mr. Prudhomme)? In it I read the
“Journey by Coach,” amazingly real.
I suppose you are still busy with your inventory, and I will
not keep you from your work.
My very best wishes for a Happy New Year.
In the New Year shall I succeed better in making saleable
drawings?...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (early February 1886) ... the other hand, perhaps you will agree with me I am
having my teeth seen to, for instance, there are no less than
ten teeth that I have either lost or may lose, and that is too
many and too troublesome, and besides, it makes me look over
forty, which is not to my advantage.
So I have decided to have that taken care of. It will cost
me 100 fr., but it can be done better now while I am drawing
than at any other time, and I have had the bad teeth cut off
and have just paid half the money in advance.
They told me at the same time that I ought to take care of
my stomach, for it's in a bad state. And since I have been here
this has far from improved.
But if one knows where the fault lies, that is something
gained, and with some energy much can be redressed.
It is not at all pleasant, but necessity knows no law, and
if one wants to paint pictures, one must try and stay alive and
keep one's strength.
I thought my teeth were bad for another reason, and I didn't
...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (1st half February 1886) ... may be a
much better understanding.
Now what shall I tell you about my health? I keep thinking
there is a chance of avoiding a real illness, but it will take
some time to restore my health.
I have two more teeth that must be filled, then my upper
jaw, which was in the worst condition, will be all right. I
have still to pay 10 fr. on it, and then another 40 fr. to have
the lower jaw taken care of too.
Thus some of those ten years which I seem to have spent in
prison will disappear. Because bad teeth, which one rarely
sees nowadays when it is so easy to have them taken care of,
give the face a somewhat sunken look.
And then, even when taking the same food, one can digest it
better when one can chew well, so my stomach will have a better
chance to recover.
But I can feel that I am in a bad condition, and as you
write yourself, by neglecting it, it might become much worse.
But we will try to get over it.
I have not worked for a few days. I went to bed early...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (15-17 February 1886) ... shall have to
stay here longer again.
I should also like so very much to finish having my teeth
fixed. What must I do?
I have a total of one franc fifty centimes left, and as to
my food, I paid 5 francs in advance until the end of the
month.
In so many ways it would be such a good thing to change
soon.
You understand that no money is left to take painting
materials from here to Brabant, so I shall be doubly in a fix
there, both as to models and colours.
So there is no choice; besides, what need is there to
choose? For what is most pressing must come first, and that is
the period of drawing from the nude and the works of
antiquity.
Perhaps I write you somewhat abruptly, but things must not
be put off. For the rest, it is only natural that there cannot
be any objection to finding a garret in Paris at once, on the
very first day of my arrival, and then I can go and draw at the
Louvre or the Ecole des Beaux-Arts so that I shall be quite
prepared for...
