| | 17 letters relate to attitude - father... | Excerpt length: shorter longer | |
| Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh
(31 July 1874)
... although he and Mother say that
he's better. Yesterday we received a letter with all sorts of
plans (wouldn't we just try this and that) which will prove to
be unworkable and certainly useless and at the end Father said
once again that he leaves it all to us, etc., etc. Rather petty
and disagreeable, Theo, and it reminded me so much of
Grandfather's letters, but qu'y faire [What can you do?]. Our
beloved Aunts are staying there now and are no doubt doing much
good! Things are as they are and what can a person do about it,
as Jong Jochem said.
Anna and I look at the newspaper faithfully every day and
reply to whatever advertisements there are. On top of that we
have already registered with a Governess agency. So we are
doing what we can. More haste less speed.
I'm glad that you go round to see the Haanebeeks so often,
give them all my kindest regards and tell them some of my
news.
The painting by Thijs Maris that Mr. Tersteeg has bought
must be beautiful, I had already... | Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh
(8 May 1875)
...
Ay, boy, “What shall we say?” C. M. and Mr.
Tersteeg have been here and left again last Saturday. In my
opinion they went too often to the Crystal Palace and other
places where they had nothing particular to do. I think they
might just as well have come to see the place where I live. I
hope and trust that I am not what many people think I am just
now. We shall see, some time must pass; probably they will say
the same of you a few years hence, at least if you remain what
you are: my brother in both senses of the word.
Farewell and my compliments to the patient.
With a handshake, Vincent
Pour agir dans le monde il faut mourir à
soi-même. Le peuple qui se fait le missionnaire d'une
pensée religieuse n'a plus d'autre patrie que cette
pensée.
L'homme n'est pas ici-bas seulement pour être heureux,
il n'y est même pas pour être simplement
honnête. Il y est pour réaliser de grandes choses
pour la... | Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh
(18 September 1877)
... you could spare a day or two for such things. How would
a man like Father, who so often goes long distances even in the
night with a lantern, to visit a sick or dying man, to speak
with him about One whose word is light even in the night of
suffering and agony, how would he feel about the etchings of
Rembrandt, for instance “The Flight to Egypt in the
Night” or the “Burial of Jesus”? The
collection in the Trippenhuis is splendid, I saw many I had
never seen before, they also told me there about drawings by
Rembrandt at the Fodor Museum. If you think it possible, speak
about it with Mr. Tersteeg and drop me a line when you are
coming, then I can finish my work and shall be free and quite
at your disposal when you come.
I never see things of that kind, etchings or paintings too,
but I think of you and all at home.
But I am up to my ears in my work, for it is becoming clear
to me what I really must know, what they know and what
inspires those... | Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh
(March 1879)
... that you paid them a surprise
visit recently, just after Father came to visit me. I am very
glad Father came. Together we visited the three clergymen of
the Borinage, and walked in the snow, and visited a miner's
family, we saw the coal being bought up out of a mine called
Les Trois Diefs [The Three Mounds]; Father also attended two
Bible classes, so we did a great deal in those few days. I
think that Father has been impressed with the Borinage and that
he will not easily forget it; no one who visits this curious,
remarkable and picturesque region can.
It is a long time since I wrote you. If with God's help my
work here is a success, you must come to see me someday,
perhaps when you have to go to Paris again or when you take a
business trip.
The other day I found a list of all the coal veins south of
Mons, 155 in all, in the house of an elderly man who has worked
in the mines for many years. The country and the inhabitants
charm me more every day. One has a homelike feeling... | Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh
(23 November 1881)
... different - aye, even opposite - views.
So I do not consider Father an enemy, but a friend who would
be even more my friend if he were less afraid that I might
“infect” him with French “errors” (?).
I think if Father understood my real intentions, I could often
be of some use to him, even with his sermons, because I
sometimes see a text in quite a different light. But Father
thinks my opinion entirely wrong, considers it contraband, and
systematically rejects it.
Now in regard to the “case in question,” as
Uncle Stricker calls what happened between Kee and me, I must
tell you that I have risked an attack on the above-mentioned
Mr. S.: by means of a registered letter. I was afraid
unregistered letters would be ignored, but he will be obliged
to read this one, and in it I have tried to draw his attention
to some points which I fear he overlooked or which he would
take no notice of. It is a very “undiplomatic”
letter, very... |
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