To make the work as good as possible
Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, from The Hague, c. 21 March 1883
Rappard is going to send a large picture to the Amsterdam exhibition. It represents four tile painters around a table. Indirectly I've heard much good about it. Now, though it's not my intention to do large pictures for exhibitions, still I wouldn't like to do work inferior to Rappard's, for instance.
I even find something animating in the thought that one works in one direction, the other in another, yet there is still mutual sympathy. Competition, when it proceeds from jealousy, is quite a different thing from trying one's best to make the work as good as possible, out of mutual respect. "The extremes touch." I do not see any good in jealousy, but I would despise a friendship which did not call for some exertion on both sides to maintain the same level.
Letter 275
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
Rappard is going to send a large picture to the Amsterdam exhibition. It represents four tile painters around a table. Indirectly I've heard much good about it. Now, though it's not my intention to do large pictures for exhibitions, still I wouldn't like to do work inferior to Rappard's, for instance.
I even find something animating in the thought that one works in one direction, the other in another, yet there is still mutual sympathy. Competition, when it proceeds from jealousy, is quite a different thing from trying one's best to make the work as good as possible, out of mutual respect. "The extremes touch." I do not see any good in jealousy, but I would despise a friendship which did not call for some exertion on both sides to maintain the same level.
Letter 275
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
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