Nuenen, 2^nd half September 1884

Amice Rappard,

With many thanks for letting me read them I am returning the book by Blanc and the one by Fromentin today. As I told you, in consequence of reading Artistes de mon Temps, I ordered the Grammaire des Arts du Dessin - you may read it if you like.

I happened to be in Utrecht last week for a day with some others from the village. I called at your house, but I could not call again as I had to go back the same day. I found nobody home at your house, and I was very sorry that I could not take a look at any of your work as a result; I should have liked so much to see your large picture of the “Fish Market.” And they could not even tell me where you were, which is why I suppose you are still in Drenthe.

I should have liked at the same time to talk to you about staying with us, to find out whether you feel like coming or not. I already wrote you about it, but the two letters have not been answered.

Goodbye,

Ever yours, Vincent

I very much enjoyed working on the six canvases I wrote you about, and now the painted sketches are finished, all six of them, and are already at my art lover's house; after he has copied them they will remain my property, and I am going to put some final touches on them. The subjects are “Potato Planting,” “Ox Plough,” “Wheat Harvest,” “Sower,” “Shepherd” (storm effect), “Gatherers of Dead Wood” (snow effect).

I have felt a bit cramped, as I had to stick to certain fixed measurements, and also because my art lover preferred compositions with five or six figures, for instance, whereas I myself would rather have done two or three. But despite that I have worked on them with real pleasure, and I shall carry them still further.