A soul and life in that crayon

Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, from The Hague, c. 4 March 1883

Will you do me a very great favor - send me a few pieces of that crayon by mail?

There is a soul and life in that crayon - I think conte pencil is dead. Two violins may look the same on the outside, but in playing them, one sometimes finds a beautiful tone in one, and not in the other.

Now that crayon has a great deal of tone or depth. I could almost say, That crayon knows what I want, it listens with intelligence and obeys; the conte pencil is indifferent and unwilling.

The crayon has a real gypsy soul; if it isn't asking too much of you, send me some of it.

Letter 272
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
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