To Willemien van Gogh. Arles, on or about Friday, 30 March 1888.

Van Gogh, Vincent

To Willemien van Gogh. Arles, on or about Friday, 30 March 1888.

Van Gogh, Vincent

URI: http://117.16.248.84:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/610

Date: 1888-03-30

Abstract:

Lieve Zuster, om uw brief niet onbeantwoord te laten schrijf ik U dadelijk na ontvangst van uw schrijven en dat van Moe en u beider goede wenschen.1 Ge moet weten dat ik U regt graag meer zou schrijven als ’t niet ware dat nog al veel dingen er toe bijdragen om me niet meester van mijn tijd te laten en ge moet U niet voorstellen ik doe waar ik precies lust in heb of laat datgene wat ik liever niet deed.– Het werk heeft me nu te pakken, ’k denk wel voor altijd en al is zulks niet ongelukkig, het geluk stel ik me toch heel anders voor.– Om te beginnen heeft het me hier verbazend veel genoegen gedaan dat tusschen Theo en de Hr. Tersteeg de relaties begonnen zijn om het werk van de schilders van hier die men impressionisten noemt ook in Holland bekend te maken.–2 Verder ik zelf heb geen spijt naar hier te zijn gegaan daar ik de natuur hier magtig mooi vind.– Tegen ’t volgend jaar – wanneer de wereldtentoonstelling zal plaats hebben3 – moet ik een massa dingen maken omdat mijn vrienden zeker ook niet in gebreke zullen blijven dan veel interessants voorhanden te hebben.– 1v:2 Niet dat ik of iemand van de schilders met wie ik meer speciaal omgang heb exposeeren zullen met de anderen doch er zal alsdan denkelijk een vrije tentoonstelling naast de officieele worden gehouden.–4 Nu heb ik hier b.v. op dit moment 6 schilderijen onder handen van bloeiende vruchtboomen.5 En dat wat ik heden ’thuis heb gebragt zou U welligt bevallen – het is een omgewerkt vak grond in een boomgaard, een rieten schutting en twee perzik boomen in volle bloei, rose tegen een tintelend blaauwe lucht met witte wolken en in zonneschijn.6 ge zult ’t mogelijk zien daar ’k maar besloten heb dit voor Jet Mauve te bestemmen. ik heb er op geschreven Souvenir de Mauve Vincent & Theo7 Ik weet nu zeer wel dat ik zoodanig onderwerp ook elders had kunnen vinden doch als ik naga dat veel schilders ’t zelfde zullen maken reken ik het geenszins onverschillig te werken in een natuur die, ofschoon al mee ’t zelfde nog als bij ons als onderwerp en gegeven, ongetwijfeld veel rijker en kleuriger is.– 1v:3 Verder zijn de menschen hier ook schilderachtig, en gelijkt bij ons een bedelaar veeleer op een spook, hier wordt hij een karikatuur.– Daar zooals ge ’t merken zult bij ’t lezen van Zola en Guy de Maupassant men absoluut wil – in de kunst – iets zeer rijks en iets zeer vroolijks – ook al hebben die zelfden Zola en Maupassant de meest navrante dingen gezegd die ooit gezegd zijn misschien – zoo is de zelfde beweging ook in de schilderkunst aan het beginnen regel te worden.– Bij voorbeeld kan ik me voorstellen dat een schilder van heden iets make als ’t geen men vindt beschreven in ’t boek van Pierre Loti, le mariage de Loti, waar de natuur van Otaheite wordt beschreven.–8 Een boek dat ik U erg kan recommandeeren.– Ge begrijpt dat de natuur van ’t zuiden niet precies kan worden geschilderd met ’t palet van b.v. Mauve die in ’t noorden hoort en meester is en blijft in ’t grijs.– Maar het palet van tegenwoordig is absoluut kleurig – hemelsblaauw, rose, oranje, vermilloen, hoog geel, helder groen, helder wijnrood, violet. 1r:4 Maar alle kleuren opvoerende komt men op nieuw tot kalmte en harmonie. En geschiedt er iets dergelijks als met de Wagner muziek die met een groot orchest uitgevoerd daarom niet minder intiem is.9 Alleen men kiest bij voorkeur zonnige en kleurige effekten en niets belet me soms te denken dat later er veel schilders in de tropische landen zullen gaan werken.– Ge kunt u wel een begrip maken van de verandering in de schilderijen als ge b.v. denkt aan de kleurige japansche voorstellingen die men overal ziet, landschappen en figuren. Theo en ik hebben honderden van die Japansche prenten.10 ge ziet ik schrijf U enkel over ’t werk van daag en ik moet eindigen en weet niet of ik hier nog verder bij zal kunnen schrijven. Het beste U zelf en Moe toegewenscht en dank voor Uwe brieven. Vincent Mijnerzijds moet ik U zelf ook met Uw verjaardag gelukwenschen11 – daar ik U graag iets van mijn werk wou geven dat U bevallen mogt zal ik voor U apart houden een kleine studie van een boek en een bloem12 – in grooter formaat met een heele massa boeken met rose, geele, groene omslagen en vuurroode – was mijn schij romans Parisiens ’t zelfde onderwerp.–13 Theo zal U die meebrengen.– ik heb ook een studie voor Jet Mauve.–14

Description:

My dear sister, So as not to let your letter go unanswered I’m writing immediately upon receipt of your letter and Ma’s and the good wishes from you both.1 You should know that I’d be very happy to write to you more often were it not that quite a lot of things contribute to my not being master of my time, and you mustn’t imagine that I do exactly what I want or leave what I’d rather not do. The work has me in its grip now, I think for all time, and although this isn’t unhappy, I nonetheless imagine happiness as something very different. To begin with, it gave me an enormous amount of pleasure here that relations have begun between Theo and Mr Tersteeg in order to make the work of the painters from here whom they call Impressionists known in Holland too.2 For myself I have no regrets about having come here, since I find nature here almighty beautiful. By next year — when the World Exhibition will be held3 — I have to make a mass of things, because my friends will certainly also not fail to have a great many interesting things on hand. 1v:2 Not that I or any of the painters with whom I’m more especially friendly will exhibit with the others, but an open exhibition will probably be staged alongside the official one at that time.4 Now here, for instance, at this moment, I have 6 paintings of blossoming fruit trees.5 And the one I brought home today would possibly appeal to you — it’s a dug-over patch of ground in an orchard, a wicker fence and two peach trees in full bloom, pink against a sparkling blue sky with white clouds and in sunshine.6 You may well see it, since I’ve decided to send this one to Jet Mauve. I’ve written on it Souvenir de Mauve Vincent & Theo7 Now I know very well that I could also have found such a subject elsewhere, but when I think that many painters will do the same I reckon it by no means immaterial to work in nature which, although it’s the same as at home in subject and fact, is undoubtedly much richer and more colourful. 1v:3 Furthermore, the people here are picturesque too, and whereas at home a beggar looks much like a spectre, here he becomes a caricature. Since, as you’ll see when you read Zola and Guy de Maupassant, people definitely want — in art — something very rich and something very cheerful — even though that same Zola and Maupassant have said the most heart-rending things that have perhaps ever been said — the same movement is also beginning to become the rule in painting. For example I can imagine that a painter of today might make something like one finds described in the book by Pierre Loti, Le mariage de Loti, where nature in Otaheite is described.8 A book that I can really recommend to you. You understand that the countryside of the south can’t exactly be painted with the palette of Mauve, say, who belongs in the north and is and always will be the master of grey. But today’s palette is definitely colourful — sky blue, pink, orange, vermilion, brilliant yellow, bright green, bright wine red, violet. 1r:4 But by intensifying all the colours one again achieves calm and harmony. And something happens like with the Wagner music which, performed by a large orchestra, is no less intimate for that.9 Only people prefer sunny and colourful effects, and nothing stops me from thinking sometimes that later on many painters will go and work in tropical countries. You can get an idea of the change in painting if you think, say, of the colourful Japanese pictures that one sees everywhere, landscapes and figures. Theo and I have hundreds of these Japanese prints.10 You see I’m writing to you only about the work today, and I must close, and don’t know whether I’ll be able to write any more to add to it. Best wishes to you and Ma, and thanks for your letters. Vincent For my part I must also wish you a happy birthday11 — since I’d like to give you something of my work that you’ll like I’ll set aside a little study of a book and a flower12 for you — in a large format with a whole mass of books with pink, yellow, green covers and fiery red — my painting Parisian novels was the same subject.13 Theo will bring this for you — I also have a study for Jet Mauve.14

사랑하는 여동생, 당신의 편지가 답이 되지 않게 하기 위해 저는 당신의 편지와 마님의 편지와 두분의 행운을 받는 즉시 편지를 씁니다.1 많은 일들이 제가 시간의 주인이 되지 못하는 데 기여하지 않았다면 제가 더 자주 편지를 쓸 수 있었을 것이고, 제가 원하는 일을 정확히 하거나 하고 싶지 않은 일을 내버려둔다고 생각해서는 안 된다는 것을 알아야 합니다. 지금은 그 일이 저를 사로잡고 있다고 생각하고, 비록 이것이 불행하지는 않지만, 그럼에도 불구하고 저는 행복을 매우 다른 것으로 생각합니다. 우선, 테오와 테르스테그 씨 사이에 인상주의 화가들의 작품이 네덜란드에서도 알려지게 하기 위해 관계가 시작된 것은 저에게 엄청난 기쁨을 주었습니다.2 나는 이곳에 온 것에 대해 후회하지 않습니다. 왜냐하면 나는 이곳의 자연이 전능하다고 생각하기 때문입니다. 세계 전시회가 열리는 내년까지 3- 나는 많은 것들을 만들어야 합니다. 왜냐하면 내 친구들 또한 분명히 많은 흥미로운 것들을 가지고 있을 것이기 때문입니다. 1v:2 저나 제가 특히 더 친했던 화가들이 다른 화가들과 함께 전시하는 것은 아니지만, 아마도 그 때 공식적인 전시회와 함께 공개 전시회가 열릴 것입니다.4 지금, 예를 들어, 지금 여기에, 저는 6점의 꽃이 피는 과일 나무 그림을 가지고 있습니다.5 그리고 제가 오늘 집으로 가져온 그림은 아마 여러분의 마음을 사로잡을 것입니다. 과수원의 땅을 파놓은 것이고, 위커 울타리와 두 그루의 복숭아 나무가 활짝 피어있고, 하얀 구름과 햇살이 비치는 반짝이는 파란 하늘을 배경으로 분홍색을 띠고 있는 것입니다.6 여러분도 잘 아실 것입니다. 왜냐하면 저는 이 그림을 제트 모브에 보내기로 결정했기 때문입니다. 저는 거기에 글을 썼습니다 기념품 드 모브 빈센트 앤 테오7 지금은 다른 곳에서도 그런 주제를 발견할 수 있었다는 것을 잘 알지만, 많은 화가들이 그렇게 할 것이라고 생각하면, 비록 주제와 사실은 가정과 같지만, 의심할 여지 없이 훨씬 풍부하고 다채로운 자연에서 작업하는 것은 결코 중요하지 않다고 생각합니다. 1v:3 게다가, 이곳 사람들도 그림같이 아름다운데, 집에서는 거지가 유령처럼 보이지만, 여기서는 캐리커처가 됩니다. 졸라와 가이 드 모파상을 읽다 보면 알게 되겠지만, 사람들은 예술적으로 매우 풍부하고 쾌활한 것을 원합니다. 비록 그 졸라와 모파상이 지금까지 말한 것 중 가장 가슴 아픈 말들을 했더라도 말입니다. 예를 들어, 저는 오늘날의 화가가 피에르 로티의 책, 오타헤이트의 자연이 묘사된 르 마리아주 드 로티에서 발견된 것과 같은 것을 만들 수도 있다고 상상할 수 있습니다. 8 정말 추천해 드릴 수 있는 책입니다. 여러분은 남부의 시골지역을 모브의 팔레트로 정확히 칠할 수는 없다는 것을 알고 있을 것입니다. 예를 들어, 모브는 북부에 속해 있고, 지금도 그리고 앞으로도 항상 회색의 대가가 될 것입니다. 하지만 오늘날의 팔레트는 확실히 색상이 다양합니다. 하늘색, 분홍색, 주황색, 버밀리온, 밝은 노란색, 밝은 녹색, 밝은 와인 빨간색, 보라색입니다. 그러나 모든 색을 강화함으로써 우리는 다시 차분하고 조화를 이룹니다. 그리고 바그너 음악에서도 마찬가지로 친숙한 일이 일어나는데, 이는 큰 오케스트라가 연주하는 것입니다. 9 오직 사람들만 햇빛이 들고 다채로운 효과를 선호하며, 그 어떤 것도 나중에 많은 화가들이 열대 국가에서 작업할 것이라고 생각하지 못하게 합니다. 예를 들어, 사람들이 어디에서나 볼 수 있는 다채로운 일본 그림, 풍경과 인물에 대해 생각하면 그림의 변화를 알 수 있습니다. 테오와 저는 수백 개의 일본 판화를 가지고 있습니다. 10 아시다시피 제가 오늘 일에 대해서만 편지를 쓰고 있는데, 마감을 해야 하는데, 제가 더 이상 편지를 쓸 수 있을지 모르겠습니다. 어머님과 어머님께 행운을 빌어요, 그리고 편지를 보내주셔서 감사합니다. 빈센트 제가 여러분께 제 작품의 일부를 드리고 싶기 때문에, 저는 여러분께 책 한 권과 꽃 한 송이에 대한 작은 공부를 남겨두겠습니다 – 분홍색, 노란색, 초록색 커버와 불타는 듯한 빨간색으로 된 커다란 형식의 책 한 권과 꽃 한 송이에 대한 제 그림도 같은 주제였습니다. 13 Theo가 이것을 여러분께 가져다드릴 것입니다 – 저는 Jet Mauve에 대한 공부도 가지고 있습니다.

Show full item record