Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (22 October 1882) ... this is the composition .
I entirely agree with
what you say about those times now and
then when one feels dull-witted in the face of nature or when
nature seems to have stopped speaking to us.
I get the same feeling quite often and it sometimes helps if
I then tackle something quite different. When I feel jaded with
landscape or light effects, I tackle figures, and vice versa.
Sometimes there is nothing for it but to wait for it to pass,
but many a time I manage to do away with the numbness by
changing my subject matter.
However, I am becoming more and more fascinated by the
figure. I remember there used to be a time when my feeling for
landscape was very strong and I was much more impressed by a
painting or drawing which captured a light effect or the
atmosphere of a landscape than I was by the figure. Indeed,
figure painters in general filled me with a kind of cool
respect rather than with warm sympathy
However, I remember very well being...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (1 November 1882) ... it all came
fresh into my thoughts again. I had collected and mounted my
hundred studies, and when I had finished the job, a rather
melancholy feeling of “what's the use?” came over
me. But then those energetic words of Herkomer's, urging the
public not to flag and saying that it is more necessary than
ever to keep the hand to the plough, comforted me so, and I
thought I would give you a short summary of what he said. A
handshake in thought, believe me,
Yours sincerely, Vincent
I hope to hear from you soon. I had a good letter from
home.
...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (c. 11 December 1882) ... trouble is really
quite gone,
but I feel rather depressed at present, whereas at
other moments, when my work progresses well, I am quite
cheerful, and feel kind of like a soldier who isn't at home in
the guardhouse, and argues thus to himself, “Why must I
be in prison here, when I should be much better off among the
rank and file where I belong?”
I mean, I feel depressed because I have a strength in me
which circumstances prevent from developing as well as it
could; the result is that I often feel miserable. A kind of
internal struggle about what I must do - which is not as easy
to solve as might seem at first.
I wish I had a job which would help me make progress. Many
jobs which might possibly be within my reach would lead me to
things quite different from those I aim at. These jobs are out
of my reach, for though I might be accepted at first, they
would not be satisfied with me in the long run; they would fire
me or I would leave of my own...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (3 February 1883) ... they were on the old
Bridge of Sighs.
I have been feeling very weak lately. I am afraid I have
been overworking myself, and how miserable the
“dregs” of the work are, that depression after
overexertion. Life is then the colour of dishwater; it becomes
something like an ash heap.
On such a day one would like to have the company of a
friend. That sometimes clears up the leaden mist.
On such days I am sometimes terribly worried about the
future and am melancholy about my work, and feel quite
helpless.
But it is dangerous to speak or think too much about it, so
enough of it.
In spite of this, I have been working on a watercolour,
another sketch of diggers, or rather, road menders, here on the
Schenkweg; but it's rotten.
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (22 July 1883) ... Hague, 22 July 1883
Dear brother,
It may be
feverishness, or nerves, or something else, I
don't know, but I don't feel well. Perhaps I am thinking more
than is necessary about that expression in your letter
concerning various things; I hope so. And I have an uneasy
feeling I can't shake off, though I have tried to overcome
it.
There isn't any reason for it, is there? If there is
anything, then tell me straight out what kind of obstacles
there are.
At all events, write too, by return of mail if possible,
whether there is anything or not. I can't help it if there is
no reason for it, but all at once I'm in the dumps. It may be a
reaction from my overexerting myself.
At all events, write soon, boy; did you get the photographs?
I'm going to take a long walk to try to shake it off.
Adieu,
Yours sincerely, Vincent
