Not to be discouraged
Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, from Antwerp, early February 1886
More and more I believe that l'art pour l'art, to work for work's sake, l'energie pour l'energie - is after all the principle of all great artists, for in the case of the de Goncourts one sees how necessary obstinacy is, for society will not thank them for it.
But in painting one finds a certain rest in the histories of those painters who aimed at the most sublime through it all.
Israels himself, for instance, was still quite unknown and poor, even to the extent of having nothing to eat but dry bread - when he nevertheless wanted to go to Paris, though the circumstances were discouraging enough.
Not to be discouraged, even though one is almost starving, and though one feels one has to say farewell to all material comfort in life!
Letter 448
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
More and more I believe that l'art pour l'art, to work for work's sake, l'energie pour l'energie - is after all the principle of all great artists, for in the case of the de Goncourts one sees how necessary obstinacy is, for society will not thank them for it.
But in painting one finds a certain rest in the histories of those painters who aimed at the most sublime through it all.
Israels himself, for instance, was still quite unknown and poor, even to the extent of having nothing to eat but dry bread - when he nevertheless wanted to go to Paris, though the circumstances were discouraging enough.
Not to be discouraged, even though one is almost starving, and though one feels one has to say farewell to all material comfort in life!
Letter 448
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
Labels: calling, determination, hope, other, sacrifice, work
posted by Jeffrois at 5:56 AM
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