To stand completely outside
Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, from Nuenen, 15-20 November 1885
As I have been working absolutely alone for years, I imagine that, though I want to and can learn from others, and even adopt some technical things, I shall always see with my own eyes, and render things originally.
But when I got off to Amsterdam for a few days, I enjoyed seeing pictures again immensely.
For sometimes it is damned hard to stand completely outside the world of painters and pictures, and to have no contact with others. Since then I have felt the longing to go back to them, at least for a time. Having been entirely out of it for a few years and having wrestled with nature sometimes helps, and one may get a new store of courage and also of health by it, of which one can never have too much, for a painter's life is often hard enough.
Letter 434
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
As I have been working absolutely alone for years, I imagine that, though I want to and can learn from others, and even adopt some technical things, I shall always see with my own eyes, and render things originally.
But when I got off to Amsterdam for a few days, I enjoyed seeing pictures again immensely.
For sometimes it is damned hard to stand completely outside the world of painters and pictures, and to have no contact with others. Since then I have felt the longing to go back to them, at least for a time. Having been entirely out of it for a few years and having wrestled with nature sometimes helps, and one may get a new store of courage and also of health by it, of which one can never have too much, for a painter's life is often hard enough.
Letter 434
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
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