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\fancyhead[LO,RE]{\footnotesize To Theo van Gogh. Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Wednesday, 12 February 1890.}
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\begin{document}
\title{To Theo van Gogh. Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Wednesday, 12 February 1890.}
\date{Wednesday, 12 February 1890}}
\maketitle
\selectlanguage{english}
\section*{Metadata}
\subsection*{Source status:}

Original manuscript

\subsection*{Location:}

Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, inv. no. b675 V/1962

\subsection*{Date:}

Vincent responds to Theo’s letter of 9 February \href{let852.xml}{(852)}, so the present letter could not have been written before 10 February. It cannot be said for certain how long Vincent waited to reply; Jo van Gogh-Bonger dated the letter in Brieven 1914 to 12 February, and it is possible she had a postmark to rely on. We, too, have therefore dated the letter to Wednesday, 12 February 1890.

\subsection*{Additional:}

\href{let853.xml}{Letter 853} to Aurier was enclosed.

\section*{Original}
\selectlanguage{french}

\marginpar{[1r:1]}
\\
mon cher Theo,
\\
j’étais en train de t’écrire \\pour t’envoyer la réponse pour m. Aurier \\lorsqu’arrive ta lettre.\footnote[1]{\TeiAnchor{
The letter to Aurier\footnote{
Gabriel-Albert Aurier

(1865-1892) French writer and art critic
} is \href{let853.xml}{letter 853}; the letter from Theo is \href{let852.xml}{letter 852}.
}} Suis très content \\de ce que Jo et le nouveau né vont \\bien et qu’elle compte pouvoir se \\lever d’ici quelques jours. Puis ce que \\tu écris de la soeur m’intéresse également \\beaucoup. Je trouve qu’elle a eu de la \\chance de voir de Gas chez lui. Je crois \\toujours qu’elle ferait surtout une bonne \\femme de médecin. Enfin on ne \\peut pas précisément forcer ces chôses-là, \\néamoins il est bon d’avoir l’oeil ouvert \\si l’occasion se présenterait.
\\
\TeiAbV{Et ainsi Gauguin est revenu à Paris – \\je vais copier ma réponse à M. Aurier \\pour la lui envoyer et toi tu lui feras \\lire l’article du Mercure.
\footnote[2]{\TeiAnchor{
It appears from Theo’s letter (\href{let852.xml}{852}) that Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
} had returned to Paris on 8 February. It is not known whether Van Gogh actually sent Gauguin a copy of his letter to Aurier\footnote{
Gabriel-Albert Aurier

(1865-1892) French writer and art critic
}. Regarding Aurier’s article ‘Les isolés: Vincent van Gogh’, \href{let845.xml#n-2}{see letter 845, n. 2.}

}} Car vraiment \\je trouve qu’on devrait dire des chôses \\comme cela de Gauguin, et de moi \\rien que très secondairement.–}
\\
\TeiAbV{Gauguin m’a écrit qu’il avait exposé en \\Danemark et que cette exposition avait \\eu beaucoup de succès.\footnote[3]{\TeiAnchor{

Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
} wrote this in \href{let844.xml}{letter 844}.
}} A moi cela \\me parait dommage qu’il n’ait pas \\continué ici un peu plus longtemps. \\A nous deux nous eussions mieux \\travaillé que moi tout seul cette \\année. Et actuellement nous aurions \\un petit mas à nous pour y demeurer \\et travailler et pourrions même en loger d’autres.}
\\
\TeiAbV{As tu remarqué dans ce journal que tu \\m’as envoyé un article sur la fécondité \\de certains artistes. de Corot, Rousseau, \\Dupré \&c.;\footnote[4]{\TeiAnchor{
This refers to the anonymous article ‘La fécondité des maîtres’ (The fecundity of the masters) in L’Art Moderne. Revue Critique des Arts et de la Littérature 10 (19 January 1890, no. 3), p. 22. This piece, which comes immediately after the shortened version of Aurier\footnote{
Gabriel-Albert Aurier

(1865-1892) French writer and art critic
}’s ‘Les isolés: Vincent van Gogh’, quotes a list published in the Guide de l’amateur d’oeuvres d’art of the number of paintings supposedly made by ‘the masters of the School of 1830’. Corot\footnote{
Jean Baptiste Camille Corot

(1796-1875) French artist
}, for example, is estimated to have made 6,000 ‘canvases or panels’, Dupré\footnote{
Jules Dupré

(1811-1889) French artist
} 3,000 and Rousseau\footnote{
Théodore Rousseau

(1812-1867) French artist
} 2,000. The author thinks these figures greatly exaggerated, ‘pure fantasy’, and suggests a more cautious estimate.
}} t’en rappelles tu comment \\maintes fois lorsque Reid était là nous \\avons parlé de cela, même de la \\
nécessité de produire beaucoup.}
\\
\TeiAbV{Et que peu de temps après que je suis venu \\à Paris je te disais qu’avant que j’eusse \\deux cents toiles je ne pourrais rien faire. \\Ce qui paraitrait à de certains travailler \\trop vite est en réalité tout à fait l’ordinaire, \\l’état normal de production régulière, \\considérant qu’un peintre doit travailler \\vraiment tout autant qu’un cordonnier \\par exemple.}
\marginpar{[1v:2]}
\\
\TeiAbV{Ne serait il pas bon d’envoyer à Reid et \\peutêtre aussi à Tersteeg ou plutot à C.M. un \\exemplaire de l’article d’Aurier.}
\\
\TeiAbV{C’est qu’il me semble qu’il faut en profiter \\pour chercher à placer quelque chôse en \\Ecosse soit maintenant soit plus tard.\footnote[5]{\TeiAnchor{
Here Van Gogh refers to Scotland in connection with the above-mentioned Reid\footnote{
Alexander Reid

(1854-1928) Scottish art dealer
}, his Scottish friend from Paris, who was an art dealer.
}}
}
\\
\TeiAbV{Je crois que tu aimeras la toile pour \\M. Aurier, c’est terriblement empâté \\et travaillé comme de certains Monticelli, \\je l’ai gardé presqu’un an.\footnote[6]{\TeiAnchor{

Cypresses (F 620 / JH 1748). Van Gogh painted it in June 1889 (\href{let783.xml}{see letter 783}) and later worked on it again after deciding to give it to Aurier\footnote{
Gabriel-Albert Aurier

(1865-1892) French writer and art critic
}.
}}
}
\\
\TeiAbV{Mais je trouve qu’il faut chercher à \\lui donner quelquechôse de bien pour \\cet article qui en soi est une chôse très \\artistique; et il nous rend réellement service \\pour le jour où nous serons bien comme \\tout le monde obligés de chercher à faire \\rentrer ce que les tableaux coûtent.}
\\
\TeiAbV{L’au delà de cela me laisse assez froid \\mais que l’argent que cela coûte de \\produire rentre, c’est la condition même \\de pouvoir continuer.}
\\
\TeiAbV{J’espère pour l’exposition des impressionistes \\en Mars\footnote[7]{\TeiAnchor{
The sixth exhibition of the Société des Artistes Indépendants was held in the Pavillon de la Ville de Paris on the Champs-Elysées from 20 March to 27 April 1890. Van Gogh exhibited ten paintings. See exhib. cat. Paris 1890-2, p. 41, cat. nos. 832-841. Eight of these can be identified on the basis of the titles in the catalogue. ‘Le cyprès’ must be Cypresses (F 613 / JH 1746), considering that Van Gogh intended to give his second painting of this subject, F 620 / JH 1748, to Aurier (\href{let853.xml}{see letter 853}). ‘Rue à Saint-Rémy’ is Road menders (‘The tall plane trees’) (F 657 / JH 1860); the other version, F 658 / JH 1861, was still with Van Gogh in Saint-Rémy (\href{let834.xml}{see letter 834}). ‘Les Alpines’ is Ravine (F 662 / JH 1804); the second version, F 661 / JH 1871, was still with Van Gogh (\href{let836.xml}{see letter 836}). ‘Promenade à Arles’ is most likely Avenue of chestnut trees in blossom (F 517 / JH 1689), which Theo thought very beautiful and referred to by the same title in \href{let793.xml}{letter 793} (as well as in the list recorded below). ‘Mûrier en automne’ is Mulberry tree (F 637 / JH 1796). ‘Sous bois’ is Trees with ivy in the garden of the asylum (F 609 / JH 1693), and ‘Lever de soleil en Provence’ is Wheatfield at sunrise (F 737 / JH 1862); the last two canvases were being shown at that time at the exhibition of Les Vingt in Brussels. ‘Les Tournesols’ is either Sunflowers in a vase (F 454 / JH 1562) or Sunflowers in a vase (F 456 / JH 1561), which were also shown at the exhibition of Les Vingt.
\TeiAbV{The other two canvases, ‘Paysage montagneux en Provence’ and ‘Verger d’oliviers en Provence’ can also be identified with certainty, thanks to a list that Theo made on the back of a letter from Dr Peyron\footnote{
Théophile Zacharie Auguste Peyron

(1827-1895) director of the asylum in Saint-Rémy
} dated 24 February 1890 (see FR b1062; Hulsker 1971, pp. 42-43). In addition to the above-mentioned titles, which were listed in the catalogue in the order given by Theo, he wrote down ‘Champs de blé (avec les nuages tourmenté)’ (Wheatfields (with billowy clouds)) and ‘Oliviers (soleil couchant)’ (Olive trees (setting sun)). These descriptive titles tell us that the paintings in question were Wheatfield after a storm (F 611 / JH 1723) and Olive grove (F 586 / JH 1854), which Vincent himself described as ‘Olive trees. Orange and green sunset sky’ (\href{let834.xml}{see letter 834}).}
}} t’envoyer encore quelques \\toiles qui sèchent dans ce moment. \\si elles n’arrivaient pas à temps tu \\ferais un choix dans celles qui sont \\chez le père Tanguy.}
\\
\TeiAbV{J’ai essayé de copier les buveurs de \\Daumier\footnote[8]{\TeiAnchor{
For Daumier\footnote{
Honoré Daumier

(1808-1879) French artist
}’s 
The four ages of the drinker
, \href{let267.xml#n-33}{see letter 267, n. 33.} Van Gogh’s painting after this print is Men drinking (after Daumier) (F 667 / JH 1884).
}} et le bagne de Doré,
\footnote[9]{\TeiAnchor{

Doré\footnote{
Gustave Doré

(1832-1883) French artist
}’s ‘Le bagne’ is a reference to Newgate – exercise yard. The print was included in 
London – a pilgrimage
. London 1872, p. 136. Van Gogh owned the engraving A prison yard in Newgate by Héliodore Joseph Pisan\footnote{
Héliodore Joseph Pisan

(1822-1883) French artist
} from De Katholieke Illustratie 6 (1872-1873), no. 45, p. 357, to which he applied grid lines to aid him in studying the proportions (Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum) Ill. 782. t*1005. Van Gogh’s Penitentiary (after  Doré) (F 669 / JH 1885) was based on this print. The estate contains another copy of this print: t*740.
}} c’est \\très-difficile.}
\\
\TeiAbV{J’espère de ces jours-ci commencer le bon \\Samaritain de Delacroix\footnote[10]{\TeiAnchor{
For Delacroix\footnote{
Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix

(1798-1863) French artist
}’s 
The Good Samaritan
, \href{let768.xml#n-22}{see letter 768, n. 22.} Van Gogh did not carry out his plan until the end of April; \href{let866.xml}{see letter 866}.
}} et le bûcheron de \\Millet.\footnote[11]{\TeiAnchor{
This was probably George Léon Alfred Perrichon\footnote{
George Léon Alfred Perrichon

(?-1907) French artist
}’s engraving after the drawing by Edmond Charles Joseph Yon\footnote{
Edmond Charles Joseph Yon

(1836/41-1897/1907) French artist
} after Millet\footnote{
Jean-François Millet

(1814-1875) French artist
}’s painting 
The woodcutter
; \href{let141.xml#n-7}{see letter 141, n. 7,} and exhib. cat. Paris 1998, p. 136. In the end, Van Gogh did not make a copy of it.
}}
}
\\
\TeiAbV{L’article d’Aurier m’encouragerait, si j’osais \\m’y laisser aller, à risquer davantage à sortir \\de la réalité et à faire avec de la couleur comme une \\musique de tons ainsi que sont certains Monticelli. \\Mais elle m’est si chère la vérité, le chercher \\à faire vrai aussi, enfin je crois, je crois \\que je préfère encore être cordonnier à être \\musicien, avec les couleurs.}
\marginpar{[1v:3]}
\\
\TeiAbV{Dans tous les cas chercher à rester vrai est peutêtre \\un remède pour combattre la maladie \\qui continue à m’inquiéter toujours.– \\De ces jours ci la santé va assez bien pour-
\\tant et j’oserais croire que s’il arrivât \\que je passe quelque temps avec toi cela \\me ferait beaucoup d’effet pour contrarier \\l’influence qu’excerce nécessairement \\la société que j’ai ici. \\Mais il me parait que cela ne \\presse point et qu’il faut considérer \\avec sang froid si c’est le moment \\de dépenser de l’argent pour le voyage. \\peutêtre en sacrifiant le voyage \\pourrait on être utile à Gauguin ou \\à Lauzet.}
\\
\TeiAbV{De ces jours ci j’ai pris un costume \\qui me coûte 35 francs, je dois le \\payer en Mars vers la fin. avec \\cela j’en aurai pour l’année car \\en venant ici j’avais pris un costume de \\35 francs à peu près aussi et il m’a servi \\toute l’année. Mais il me faudra une \\paire de souliers et quelques caleçons \\aussi en Mars.–}
\\
\TeiAbV{Tout bien consideré la vie n’est pas bien \\bien chère ici, je crois que dans le nord \\on dépenserait plutôt davantage.
}
\\
\TeiAbV{Et c’est pourquoi – même si je venais \\pour quelque temps chez toi – la meilleure \\politique pourrait encore être de \\continuer le travail ici. Je ne sais – \\et l’un ou l’autre m’est bon – mais \\faut pas se presser de changer.}
\\
\TeiAbV{Et ne crois tu pas qu’à Anvers si on executait \\le plan de Gauguin\footnote[12]{\TeiAnchor{
For Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
}’s plan, \href{let844.xml}{see letter 844}.
}} il faudrait tenir un \\certain rang, meubler un atelier, enfin \\faire comme la plupart des peintres \\établis Hollandais. C’est pas si simple que \\ça parait et craindrais pour lui comme \\pour moi un siège en règle des artistes \\établis et il aurait encore la même histoire \\que dans le temps en Danemark.
\footnote[13]{\TeiAnchor{
This remark refers to the exhibition of Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
}’s work held in Copenhagen in May 1885; \href{let844.xml#n-2}{see letter 844, n. 2.}

}}
}
\marginpar{[1r:4]}
\\
\TeiAbV{Enfin il faudrait commencer à se dire \\que c’est toujours par le même procédé \\que les peintres établis peuvent faire des \\miseres et meme obliger à décamper \\les aventuriers comme nous le serions \\à Anvers. Et pour ce qui est des marchands \\de là-bas, faut pas du tout y compter.
}
\\
\TeiAbV{L’académie y est meilleure et on y travaille \\plus vigoureusement qu’à Paris. \\Et puis Gauguin à présent est toujours à \\Paris, sa réputation s’y maintient et s’il part \\pour Anvers il pourrait trouver qu’il est \\plus ou moins difficile de revenir à Paris. \\Allant à Anvers je craindrais plutôt pour \\Gauguin que pour moi car moi naturellement \\je me débrouille avec le flamand, je reprends \\les études de paysans commencés dans le \\temps et abandonnés bien à regret – j’ai \\à un haut degré l’amour de la Campine,
\footnote[14]{\TeiAnchor{
‘La Campine’ (de Kempen) is a region in northern Belgium.
}} \\pas besoin de te le dire.– Mais je prévois \\que pour lui la bataille pourrait être très \\rude. Je crois que tu lui diras le pour et le \\contre de cela absolument comme je le \\lui dirais, je lui écrirai de ces jours ci surtout \\pour lui envoyer la réponse à l’article de M. Aurier \\et je croirais que s’il voulait on pourrait \\encore travailler ici ensemble si ses démarches \\de trouver une place n’aboutiraient pas.– \\Mais il est habile et peutêtre s’en tirera-t-il \\à Paris même et s’il s’y maintient pour \\sa reputation il fait bien car il a toujours \\ceci que le premier de tous il a travaillé \\en plein pays tropical.
\footnote[15]{\TeiAnchor{

Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
} spent the period May-October 1887 working in Martinique. 
}} Et sur cette question--
\\là on y reviendra nécessairement. Dites lui \\surtout bien des chôses de ma part et s’il veut \\il prendra les répétitions des tournesols\footnote[16]{\TeiAnchor{
These repetitions are Sunflowers in a vase (F 455 / JH 1668) and Sunflowers in a vase (F 458 / JH 1667). Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
} never got these works. It can be inferred from this passage that both works were at Theo’s; this refutes Feilchenfeldt’s theory that F 455 remained in Arles. See Feilchenfeldt 2005, p. 298.
}} et \\la répétition de la berceuse\footnote[17]{\TeiAnchor{

Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
} eventually received Augustine Roulin (‘La berceuse’) (F 506 / JH 1670). \href{let776.xml#n-4}{See letter 776, n. 4.}

}} en échange de \\quelque chose de lui qui te ferait plaisir.
}
\\
\TeiAbV{Si je venais à Paris j’aurais à remanier \\plusieurs toiles faites dans le commencement \\ici, c’est pas le travail qui me manquerait ce \\temps-là.– Bien des chôses à Jo \\et bonne poignée de main en pensée.
}

\\
t. à t.
\\
Vincent.

\\
tu feras s.v.p. parvenir la lettre ci incluse, \\après l’avoir lue, à M. Aurier.

\selectlanguage{english}
\section*{Translation}

\marginpar{[1r:1]}
My dear Theo,

I was in the middle of writing to you to send you the reply for Mr Aurier\footnote{
Gabriel-Albert Aurier

(1865-1892) French writer and art critic
} when your letter arrived.\footnote[1]{\TeiAnchor{
The letter to Aurier\footnote{
Gabriel-Albert Aurier

(1865-1892) French writer and art critic
} is \href{let853.xml}{letter 853}; the letter from Theo is \href{let852.xml}{letter 852}.
}} Am very pleased that Jo\footnote{
Johanna (Jo or Net) Gezina van Gogh-Bonger

(1862-1925) wife of Theo van Gogh
} and the newborn\footnote{
Vincent Willem van Gogh

(1890-1978) son of Theo van Gogh
} are well and that she expects to be able to get up in a few days from now. Then what you write about our sister\footnote{
Willemina (Wil or Willemien) Jacoba van Gogh

(1862-1941) sister of Vincent
} also interests me a great deal. I consider that she was lucky to see Degas\footnote{
(Hilaire Germain) Edgar Degas

(1834-1917) French artist
} at his home. I still think that she would above all make a good doctor’s wife. Anyway, one can’t exactly force these things, nevertheless it’s good to have one’s eyes open if the opportunity were to present itself.

\TeiAbIII{And so Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
} has come back to Paris – I’m going to copy my reply to Mr Aurier\footnote{
Gabriel-Albert Aurier

(1865-1892) French writer and art critic
} to send it to him, and you can let him read the article from the Mercure.\footnote[2]{\TeiAnchor{
It appears from Theo’s letter (\href{let852.xml}{852}) that Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
} had returned to Paris on 8 February. It is not known whether Van Gogh actually sent Gauguin a copy of his letter to Aurier\footnote{
Gabriel-Albert Aurier

(1865-1892) French writer and art critic
}. Regarding Aurier’s article ‘Les isolés: Vincent van Gogh’, \href{let845.xml#n-2}{see letter 845, n. 2.}

}} For really I consider that one should say things like that about Gauguin, and about me nothing except very secondarily.}

\TeiAbIII{
Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
} wrote to me that he’d exhibited in Denmark and that this exhibition had been very successful.\footnote[3]{\TeiAnchor{

Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
} wrote this in \href{let844.xml}{letter 844}.
}} To me it seems a shame that he didn’t continue here a bit longer. The two of us together would have worked better than myself all alone this year. And at present we’d have a little cottage of our own to stay in and work, and could even accommodate others.}

\TeiAbIII{Did you notice in that newspaper you sent me an article on the fruitfulness of certain artists. Of Corot\footnote{
Jean Baptiste Camille Corot

(1796-1875) French artist
}, Rousseau\footnote{
Théodore Rousseau

(1812-1867) French artist
}, Dupré\footnote{
Jules Dupré

(1811-1889) French artist
} \&c.;\footnote[4]{\TeiAnchor{
This refers to the anonymous article ‘La fécondité des maîtres’ (The fecundity of the masters) in L’Art Moderne. Revue Critique des Arts et de la Littérature 10 (19 January 1890, no. 3), p. 22. This piece, which comes immediately after the shortened version of Aurier\footnote{
Gabriel-Albert Aurier

(1865-1892) French writer and art critic
}’s ‘Les isolés: Vincent van Gogh’, quotes a list published in the Guide de l’amateur d’oeuvres d’art of the number of paintings supposedly made by ‘the masters of the School of 1830’. Corot\footnote{
Jean Baptiste Camille Corot

(1796-1875) French artist
}, for example, is estimated to have made 6,000 ‘canvases or panels’, Dupré\footnote{
Jules Dupré

(1811-1889) French artist
} 3,000 and Rousseau\footnote{
Théodore Rousseau

(1812-1867) French artist
} 2,000. The author thinks these figures greatly exaggerated, ‘pure fantasy’, and suggests a more cautious estimate.
}} do you remember how many times when Reid\footnote{
Alexander Reid

(1854-1928) Scottish art dealer
} was there that we talked about that, even of the necessity to produce a lot.}

\TeiAbIII{And that shortly after I came to Paris I said to you that before I had two hundred canvases I wouldn’t be able to do anything. What would appear to some people to be working too fast is in reality completely the ordinary run of things, the normal state of regular production, considering that a painter must work really just as hard as a shoemaker, for example. 
\marginpar{[1v:2]}
}

\TeiAbIII{Would it not be a good idea to send Reid\footnote{
Alexander Reid

(1854-1928) Scottish art dealer
}, and perhaps also Tersteeg\footnote{
Hermanus Gijsbertus Tersteeg (H.G.T., T. or Mr T.)

(1845-1927) art dealer at the Goupil gallery in The Hague
}, or rather C.M.\footnote{
Cornelis (Cor) Marinus van Gogh (Uncle Cor or C.M.)

(1824-1908) brother of Theodorus van Gogh, art dealer and bookseller in Amsterdam
}, a copy of Aurier\footnote{
Gabriel-Albert Aurier

(1865-1892) French writer and art critic
}’s article?}

\TeiAbIII{The thing is that it seems to me that we ought to take advantage of it to try to place something in Scotland, either now or later.\footnote[5]{\TeiAnchor{
Here Van Gogh refers to Scotland in connection with the above-mentioned Reid\footnote{
Alexander Reid

(1854-1928) Scottish art dealer
}, his Scottish friend from Paris, who was an art dealer.
}}
}

\TeiAbIII{I think you’ll like the canvas for Mr Aurier\footnote{
Gabriel-Albert Aurier

(1865-1892) French writer and art critic
}, it’s in terribly thick impasto and worked like certain Monticelli\footnote{
Adolphe Joseph Thomas Monticelli

(1824-1886) French artist
}s, I’ve kept it for almost a year.\footnote[6]{\TeiAnchor{

Cypresses (F 620 / JH 1748). Van Gogh painted it in June 1889 (\href{let783.xml}{see letter 783}) and later worked on it again after deciding to give it to Aurier\footnote{
Gabriel-Albert Aurier

(1865-1892) French writer and art critic
}.
}}
}

\TeiAbIII{But I consider that I must try to give him something good for that article, which is in itself a very artistic thing; and it really serves us well for the day when we, like everyone, will be obliged to try and recover what the paintings cost.}

\TeiAbIII{Everything beyond that leaves me quite cold, but recovering the money it costs to produce, that’s the very condition of being able to continue.}

\TeiAbIII{For the Impressionists’ exhibition in March\footnote[7]{\TeiAnchor{
The sixth exhibition of the Société des Artistes Indépendants was held in the Pavillon de la Ville de Paris on the Champs-Elysées from 20 March to 27 April 1890. Van Gogh exhibited ten paintings. See exhib. cat. Paris 1890-2, p. 41, cat. nos. 832-841. Eight of these can be identified on the basis of the titles in the catalogue. ‘Le cyprès’ must be Cypresses (F 613 / JH 1746), considering that Van Gogh intended to give his second painting of this subject, F 620 / JH 1748, to Aurier (\href{let853.xml}{see letter 853}). ‘Rue à Saint-Rémy’ is Road menders (‘The tall plane trees’) (F 657 / JH 1860); the other version, F 658 / JH 1861, was still with Van Gogh in Saint-Rémy (\href{let834.xml}{see letter 834}). ‘Les Alpines’ is Ravine (F 662 / JH 1804); the second version, F 661 / JH 1871, was still with Van Gogh (\href{let836.xml}{see letter 836}). ‘Promenade à Arles’ is most likely Avenue of chestnut trees in blossom (F 517 / JH 1689), which Theo thought very beautiful and referred to by the same title in \href{let793.xml}{letter 793} (as well as in the list recorded below). ‘Mûrier en automne’ is Mulberry tree (F 637 / JH 1796). ‘Sous bois’ is Trees with ivy in the garden of the asylum (F 609 / JH 1693), and ‘Lever de soleil en Provence’ is Wheatfield at sunrise (F 737 / JH 1862); the last two canvases were being shown at that time at the exhibition of Les Vingt in Brussels. ‘Les Tournesols’ is either Sunflowers in a vase (F 454 / JH 1562) or Sunflowers in a vase (F 456 / JH 1561), which were also shown at the exhibition of Les Vingt.
\TeiAbV{The other two canvases, ‘Paysage montagneux en Provence’ and ‘Verger d’oliviers en Provence’ can also be identified with certainty, thanks to a list that Theo made on the back of a letter from Dr Peyron\footnote{
Théophile Zacharie Auguste Peyron

(1827-1895) director of the asylum in Saint-Rémy
} dated 24 February 1890 (see FR b1062; Hulsker 1971, pp. 42-43). In addition to the above-mentioned titles, which were listed in the catalogue in the order given by Theo, he wrote down ‘Champs de blé (avec les nuages tourmenté)’ (Wheatfields (with billowy clouds)) and ‘Oliviers (soleil couchant)’ (Olive trees (setting sun)). These descriptive titles tell us that the paintings in question were Wheatfield after a storm (F 611 / JH 1723) and Olive grove (F 586 / JH 1854), which Vincent himself described as ‘Olive trees. Orange and green sunset sky’ (\href{let834.xml}{see letter 834}).}
}} I hope to send you a few more canvases which are drying at the moment. If they didn’t arrive in time you would have to make a choice from those that are at 
père Tanguy\footnote{
Julien François Tanguy (père Tanguy)

(1825-1894) seller of artists' materials in Paris
}’s.}

\TeiAbIII{I’ve tried to copy Daumier\footnote{
Honoré Daumier

(1808-1879) French artist
}’s Drinkers\footnote[8]{\TeiAnchor{
For Daumier\footnote{
Honoré Daumier

(1808-1879) French artist
}’s 
The four ages of the drinker
, \href{let267.xml#n-33}{see letter 267, n. 33.} Van Gogh’s painting after this print is Men drinking (after Daumier) (F 667 / JH 1884).
}} and Doré\footnote{
Gustave Doré

(1832-1883) French artist
}’s Penitentiary,\footnote[9]{\TeiAnchor{

Doré\footnote{
Gustave Doré

(1832-1883) French artist
}’s ‘Le bagne’ is a reference to Newgate – exercise yard. The print was included in 
London – a pilgrimage
. London 1872, p. 136. Van Gogh owned the engraving A prison yard in Newgate by Héliodore Joseph Pisan\footnote{
Héliodore Joseph Pisan

(1822-1883) French artist
} from De Katholieke Illustratie 6 (1872-1873), no. 45, p. 357, to which he applied grid lines to aid him in studying the proportions (Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum) Ill. 782. t*1005. Van Gogh’s Penitentiary (after  Doré) (F 669 / JH 1885) was based on this print. The estate contains another copy of this print: t*740.
}} it’s very difficult.}

\TeiAbIII{In the next few days I hope to begin on Delacroix\footnote{
Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix

(1798-1863) French artist
}’s Good Samaritan\footnote[10]{\TeiAnchor{
For Delacroix\footnote{
Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix

(1798-1863) French artist
}’s 
The Good Samaritan
, \href{let768.xml#n-22}{see letter 768, n. 22.} Van Gogh did not carry out his plan until the end of April; \href{let866.xml}{see letter 866}.
}} and Millet\footnote{
Jean-François Millet

(1814-1875) French artist
}’s Woodcutter.\footnote[11]{\TeiAnchor{
This was probably George Léon Alfred Perrichon\footnote{
George Léon Alfred Perrichon

(?-1907) French artist
}’s engraving after the drawing by Edmond Charles Joseph Yon\footnote{
Edmond Charles Joseph Yon

(1836/41-1897/1907) French artist
} after Millet\footnote{
Jean-François Millet

(1814-1875) French artist
}’s painting 
The woodcutter
; \href{let141.xml#n-7}{see letter 141, n. 7,} and exhib. cat. Paris 1998, p. 136. In the end, Van Gogh did not make a copy of it.
}}
}

\TeiAbIII{
Aurier\footnote{
Gabriel-Albert Aurier

(1865-1892) French writer and art critic
}’s article would encourage me, if I dared let myself go, to risk emerging from reality more and making a kind of tonal music with colour, as some Monticelli\footnote{
Adolphe Joseph Thomas Monticelli

(1824-1886) French artist
}s are. But the truth is so dear to me, trying to create something true also, anyway I think, I think I still prefer to be a shoemaker than to be a musician, with colours. 
\marginpar{[1v:3]}
}

\TeiAbIII{In any event, trying to remain true is perhaps a remedy to combat the illness that still continues to worry me. Lately my health is quite good, however, and I’d dare to believe that if I were to spend a while with you that would have a lot of effect upon me to counteract the influence that the company I have here necessarily exerts. But it seems to me that there’s no hurry about this, and that we must consider calmly if this is the moment to spend money on the journey. Perhaps by sacrificing the journey one could be useful to Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
} or Lauzet\footnote{
Auguste Marie Lauzet

(1865-1898) French artist
}.}

\TeiAbIII{A few days ago I bought a suit that cost me 35 francs, I must pay for it towards the end of March. With this I’ll have sufficient for the year, for when I came here I also bought a suit for around 35 francs, and it has served me all year. But I’ll need a pair of shoes and a few pairs of drawers in March as well.}

\TeiAbIII{All things considered, life here isn’t very expensive, I think that in the north one would spend rather more.}

\TeiAbIII{And that’s why – even if I came to you for a while – the best policy might still be to continue the work here. I don’t know – and either is good to me – but we mustn’t hurry to move.}

\TeiAbIII{And don’t you think that in Antwerp, if we put Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
}’s plan into practice,\footnote[12]{\TeiAnchor{
For Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
}’s plan, \href{let844.xml}{see letter 844}.
}} one would have to maintain a certain rank, furnish a studio, in short do as the majority of established Dutch painters do? It’s not as simple as it appears, and would fear for him as well as for myself a regular siege by the established artists, and he would have the same story as he had before in Denmark.\footnote[13]{\TeiAnchor{
This remark refers to the exhibition of Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
}’s work held in Copenhagen in May 1885; \href{let844.xml#n-2}{see letter 844, n. 2.}

}} 
\marginpar{[1r:4]}
}

\TeiAbIII{Anyway, we’d have to begin to say to ourselves that it’s still through the same procedure that the established painters can cause troubles for adventurers, as we’d be in Antwerp, and even oblige them to decamp. And as for the dealers there, we mustn’t count on them at all.}

\TeiAbIII{The academy there is better, and they work more vigorously there than in Paris. And then Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
} is still in Paris at the moment, his reputation is holding up there, and if he leaves for Antwerp he could find that it’s rather difficult to come back to Paris. Going to Antwerp I would fear for Gauguin rather than for myself, for naturally I can get by in Flemish, I resume the studies of peasants I began before and abandoned with much regret – there’s no need to tell you that I have a great love of the Kempen.\footnote[14]{\TeiAnchor{
‘La Campine’ (de Kempen) is a region in northern Belgium.
}} But I foresee that for him the battle could be very tough. I think that you’ll tell him the pros and cons of this absolutely as I would tell him, I’ll write to him one of these days, especially to send him the reply to Mr Aurier\footnote{
Gabriel-Albert Aurier

(1865-1892) French writer and art critic
}’s article, and I’d think that if he wanted we could still work here together if his steps to find a position were to come to nothing. But he’s skilful, and perhaps he’ll come through it in Paris itself, and if he holds on there for his reputation he does well, for he always has this, that he was the first one of all to work in the heart of a tropical land.\footnote[15]{\TeiAnchor{

Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
} spent the period May-October 1887 working in Martinique. 
}} And one will necessarily come back to that matter. Above all, give him my warm regards, and if he wants he can take the repetitions of the Sunflowers\footnote[16]{\TeiAnchor{
These repetitions are Sunflowers in a vase (F 455 / JH 1668) and Sunflowers in a vase (F 458 / JH 1667). Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
} never got these works. It can be inferred from this passage that both works were at Theo’s; this refutes Feilchenfeldt’s theory that F 455 remained in Arles. See Feilchenfeldt 2005, p. 298.
}} and the repetition of the Berceuse\footnote[17]{\TeiAnchor{

Gauguin\footnote{
Paul (Eugène Henri) Gauguin

(1848-1903) French artist
} eventually received Augustine Roulin (‘La berceuse’) (F 506 / JH 1670). \href{let776.xml#n-4}{See letter 776, n. 4.}

}} in exchange for something of his that would give you pleasure.}

\TeiAbIII{If I came to Paris I would have to rework several canvases done in the beginning here, I wouldn’t have any lack of work then. Warm regards to Jo\footnote{
Johanna (Jo or Net) Gezina van Gogh-Bonger

(1862-1925) wife of Theo van Gogh
}, and good handshake in thought.}

Ever yours,

Vincent.

Please send the enclosed letter to Mr Aurier\footnote{
Gabriel-Albert Aurier

(1865-1892) French writer and art critic
} after you’ve read it.

\end{document}