Art itself is solid enough

Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, from Nuenen, mid August 1885

I go on insisting that it is fatal that your energy has manifestly taken another direction, instead of being turned to making a success of painting for both of us. And yet it is only a very short time ago that you wrote you had more confidence now, and that my work was good.

In my opinion you don't in the least belong among the rising men. Resent this if you like. Though you say today, "I am selling to the tune of 500,000 fr. a year" - this does not impress me the least little bit, as I am too much convinced of the difficulty of keeping it up.

It is too high up in the air for my taste, too little on solid ground. And, after all, art itself is solid enough.

I wish you were or would become a painter.

Letter 420
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what