The thing I value most is your sympathy
Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, from The Hague, 1 May 1882
The thing I value most is your sympathy. If I win that, the selling will follow.
But that sympathy of yours cannot be forced by either you or me. I think I can produce a great deal - I mean I can work quickly, without dawdling. After you returned the old studies as I asked you, I sent you two new ones (“Laan van Meerdervoort” and “Sorrow”) to prove I can do more if you like them. If you say it is not ripe yet, I will work on without sending them; what I sent was no accident - I am really able to do what I'm doing now. I shall have to study for some time to do better. But what I want to say is: If the last ones I have sent you are good enough for you to show, then I can begin to send what I have ready.
Letter 195
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
The thing I value most is your sympathy. If I win that, the selling will follow.
But that sympathy of yours cannot be forced by either you or me. I think I can produce a great deal - I mean I can work quickly, without dawdling. After you returned the old studies as I asked you, I sent you two new ones (“Laan van Meerdervoort” and “Sorrow”) to prove I can do more if you like them. If you say it is not ripe yet, I will work on without sending them; what I sent was no accident - I am really able to do what I'm doing now. I shall have to study for some time to do better. But what I want to say is: If the last ones I have sent you are good enough for you to show, then I can begin to send what I have ready.
Letter 195
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
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