Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (15 November 1875) ... take this
note yourself, won't you?
Every morning my dear
Englishman prepares oatmeal, his
father sent him 25 pounds of it. I wish you could taste it with
us.
I am so glad that I met this boy. I have learned from him,
and in return I was able to show him a danger which was
threatening him.
He had never been away from home, and though he did not show
it, he had an unhealthy (though noble) longing for his father
and his home. It was the kind of longing that belongs only to
God and heaven. This idolatry is not love. He who loves his
parents must follow their footsteps in life. He understands
this now clearly; and though his heart is sad, he has the
courage and the desire to go forward.
Has Father already told you, as he often did me, 'Keep your
heart with all diligence, because the heart is an open door to
life'? Then let us do so, and with the help of God, we will
stay on the right path.
Good luck to you, believe me always,
Your loving...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (30 October 1877) ... Scotland and colouring them
(red and green). I thought
of those pickles which Uncle is so
fond of and which I have learned to like too. The soul of man
is singularly strange, and I think it is excellent to have one
- like a map of England, made with loving devotion - and to
have in it as much as possible of the love which is holy in all
things and believes in all things and hopes all things and
suffers all things, and never perishes. This love is the light
of the world, the true life which is the light of man. Surely
knowledge of languages is a precious possession, and I am
anxious to grasp something of it too.
When one eats a crust of black rye bread, it is well to
think of the words, “Tunc justi fulgebunt ut sol in
regnum Patris sui” [then the righteous shall shine like
the sun in the kingdom of their Father], or, too, when one
often has muddy boots or wet black clothes. May all of us
someday enter the kingdom which is not of this world, where
they...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (1 November 1880) ... with misery, if I
had stayed a month longer. You must not imagine that I live
richly here, for my chief food is dry bread or some potatoes or
chestnuts which people sell here on the street corners, but by
having a somewhat better room and by occasionally taking a
somewhat better meal in a restaurant whenever I can afford it,
I shall get on very well. But for almost two years I have had a
hard time in the Borinage - it was no pleasure trip, I assure
you. The expenses here will be somewhat more than 60 fr., which
cannot be helped. Drawing materials, studies to copy - for
instance, for anatomy - all cost money, and yet they are
strictly necessary: only in this way shall I obtain a fair
return, otherwise I could never succeed.
The other day I read with great pleasure an extract from the
work of Lavater and Gall, Physiognomy and Phrenology, namely,
how character is expressed in the features and in the shape of
the skull. I have drawn “The Diggers” by Millet,
...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (c. 12-16 January 1882) ... I also spend what is necessary for myself,
though living as
cheaply as possible. (I take my meals in the soup kitchen.) Yet
I hope you will not object to my going on.
But I repeat what I already said in my last letter, let me
know as nearly as possible what I can expect; and I wish you
could make some arrangement with Mr. Tersteeg, so that in case
of difficulties, I can go to him without any scruples. For my
part, I promise you to work as hard as I can; but with models,
for instance, whether I can work full speed, half speed, or
not at all often depends on the money I have or haven't got
in my pocket. So now I am making arrangements with a mother and
her baby, but I am afraid it will be too expensive. Of course
you understand that I like best to go full speed,
but…well, you know what I mean. I must hold myself in
until I have a little more scope and freedom.
Write me soon, and do send me the money for February as
early as possible, for I am quite...
