So be it – and yet, confound it!
Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, from The Hague, 14 May 1882
Were I to be told for certain that you are withdrawing your support, I should be rendered powerless. With the best will in the world my hand would become paralysed - everything would indeed be dreadful then, yes, everything would be terrible. What satisfaction would that give you or anyone else? I should become downhearted and it would go hard with Christien and the child. You may think it's going too far to suppose you capable of doing anything like that, but 'such things can happen.' If this dreadful fate has to befall me - so be it. Though it hangs over my head, I can say nothing other than: I have pledged Christien my troth and she has pledged me hers, and we do not have it in us to break this pledge.
And yet - confound it - what's happening? - and what sort of times do we live in? - wake up, Theo! Don't let them confuse you or sway you with their Jesuitisms. Do I deserve being left in the lurch by you because I have helped a pregnant woman and will not send her back on to the streets? Is that a capital offence???
Letter 198
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
Were I to be told for certain that you are withdrawing your support, I should be rendered powerless. With the best will in the world my hand would become paralysed - everything would indeed be dreadful then, yes, everything would be terrible. What satisfaction would that give you or anyone else? I should become downhearted and it would go hard with Christien and the child. You may think it's going too far to suppose you capable of doing anything like that, but 'such things can happen.' If this dreadful fate has to befall me - so be it. Though it hangs over my head, I can say nothing other than: I have pledged Christien my troth and she has pledged me hers, and we do not have it in us to break this pledge.
And yet - confound it - what's happening? - and what sort of times do we live in? - wake up, Theo! Don't let them confuse you or sway you with their Jesuitisms. Do I deserve being left in the lurch by you because I have helped a pregnant woman and will not send her back on to the streets? Is that a capital offence???
Letter 198
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
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