Truth has a beauty of its own
Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, from Nuenen, early June 1884
Fromentin says of Ruysdael that at present they are much further advanced in technique than he was, also much more advanced than Cabat, who sometimes greatly resembles Ruysdael in his stately simplicity, for instance in the picture at the Luxembourg.
But has what Ruysdael, what Cabat, said become untrue or superfluous for that reason? No, it's the same with Israels, with De Groux too (De Groux was very simple).
But if one says what one has to say clearly, strictly speaking, isn't that enough? And it may become more pleasant to hear if it is said with more charm, something I do not disdain, yet it does not add very much to the beauty of what is true, because truth has a beauty of its own.
Letter 371
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
Fromentin says of Ruysdael that at present they are much further advanced in technique than he was, also much more advanced than Cabat, who sometimes greatly resembles Ruysdael in his stately simplicity, for instance in the picture at the Luxembourg.
But has what Ruysdael, what Cabat, said become untrue or superfluous for that reason? No, it's the same with Israels, with De Groux too (De Groux was very simple).
But if one says what one has to say clearly, strictly speaking, isn't that enough? And it may become more pleasant to hear if it is said with more charm, something I do not disdain, yet it does not add very much to the beauty of what is true, because truth has a beauty of its own.
Letter 371
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
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