Straight from the painter's soul
Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, from Antwerp, 8-15 December 1884
I won't let that idea of painting portraits go, for it is a good thing to fight for, to show people that there is more in them than the photographer can possibly get out of them with his machine.
I have noticed the great number of photographers here, who are just about the same as everywhere, and seem to be pretty busy.
But always those same conventional eyes, noses, mouths - waxlike and smooth and cold.
It cannot but always remain lifeless.
And the painted portraits have a life of their own, coming straight from the painter's soul, which the machine cannot reach. The more one looks at photographs, the more one feels this, I think.
Letter 439
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
I won't let that idea of painting portraits go, for it is a good thing to fight for, to show people that there is more in them than the photographer can possibly get out of them with his machine.
I have noticed the great number of photographers here, who are just about the same as everywhere, and seem to be pretty busy.
But always those same conventional eyes, noses, mouths - waxlike and smooth and cold.
It cannot but always remain lifeless.
And the painted portraits have a life of their own, coming straight from the painter's soul, which the machine cannot reach. The more one looks at photographs, the more one feels this, I think.
Letter 439
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
Labels: calling, spirituality
posted by Jeffrois at 9:18 AM
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