At thirty you will still be young

Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, from The Hague, early April 1882

I have sat down to write you several times, but I couldn't bring myself to finish the letter. The reason was that I wanted to write about several things which had made me think the necessity of your becoming a painter so very evident. But what I had written wasn't quite right, and I couldn't find words strong enough.

Your objections are true, but on the other hand there are many other things which counterbalance them. By thirty you would have made such progress that people would have to acknowledge you as a painter and value your work. And at thirty you will still be young.

What you have learned at Goupil's, your knowledge of many things, will simply enable you to overtake many who "started early." For those early beginners often have a sterile period, remaining on the same level for years; someone who begins energetically later on need not go through such a period.

Letter 184
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
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