I am sometimes terribly discouraged
Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, from The Hague, 27 November 1882
But I tell you that dissatisfaction about bad work, the failure of things, the difficulties of technique can make one dreadfully melancholy. I can assure you that I am sometimes terribly discouraged when I think of Millet, Israels, Breton, de Groux, so many others, Herkomer for instance; one only knows what these fellows are worth when one is oneself at work. And then to swallow that despair and that melancholy, to bear with oneself as one is, not in order to sit down and rest but to struggle on notwithstanding thousands of shortcomings and faults and the doubtfulness of conquering them, all these things are the reason why a painter is not happy either.
The struggle with oneself, the trying to better oneself, the renewal of one's energy, all this is complicated by material difficulties.
Letter 248
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
But I tell you that dissatisfaction about bad work, the failure of things, the difficulties of technique can make one dreadfully melancholy. I can assure you that I am sometimes terribly discouraged when I think of Millet, Israels, Breton, de Groux, so many others, Herkomer for instance; one only knows what these fellows are worth when one is oneself at work. And then to swallow that despair and that melancholy, to bear with oneself as one is, not in order to sit down and rest but to struggle on notwithstanding thousands of shortcomings and faults and the doubtfulness of conquering them, all these things are the reason why a painter is not happy either.
The struggle with oneself, the trying to better oneself, the renewal of one's energy, all this is complicated by material difficulties.
Letter 248
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
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