He and I are counted for nothing

Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, from The Hague, 29 October 1882

I do not know whether all painters, even those who look down on my work so much that they think it beneath their dignity to take the slightest notice of it, work harder than I do. Nor do I know if they know a better way than to work from the model, though, in my opinion, they do it too little; as I wrote you before, I cannot understand why they do not take more models. . . .

This week I had a letter from Rappard, who is also astonished at the behavior of many painters here, and whose picture was refused for the Arti exhibition. I ask you, is it just that he and I are counted for nothing?

For I assure you that he works hard.

Letter 239
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
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