Letter 165 Etten, 22 鈥?24 December 1881
Dear Theo,
As Father and Mother are sending you a letter, I鈥檓 enclosing a word, but I hope to write you at length soon,
that is, after Mauve has been here; he is expected one of these days at Prinsenhage and will also come here.
You must know, Theo, that Mauve has sent me a paintbox with paint, brushes, palette, palette knife, oil,
turpentine 鈥?in short, everything necessary. So it is now settled that I shall begin to paint, and I am glad things have gone so far.
Well, I have been drawing a good deal recently, especially studies of the figure. If you saw them now, you would see in what direction I am going. Of course, I am now longing to hear what Mauve will have to say.
The other day I made some drawings of children, too, and liked it very much.
These are days of great beauty in tone and colour; after I have made some progress in painting, I will succeed in expressing a little of it. But we must stick to the point, and now that I have begun drawing the figure, I will continue it until I am more advanced; and when I work in the open air, it is to make studies of trees, viewing the trees like real figures. I mean especially with a view to the outline, the proportion and the construction 鈥?that is the first thing one has to consider. Then comes the modelling and the colour and the surroundings, and it is about these that I need Mauve鈥檚 advice.
But, Theo, I am so very happy with my paintbox, and I think my getting it now, after having drawn almost exclusively for at least a year, better than if I had started with it immediately. I think you will agree with me in this.
Now in my last letter I forgot to tell you that I think it鈥檚 fine that you are going to London. I should not like you to go and stay there, but it is a good thing to become acquainted with it.
In the long run I do not think you would like it there, at least it becomes clearer and clearer to me that I never felt in my element there. Here in Holland I feel much more at home, yes, I think I shall again become a thorough Dutchman, and don鈥檛 you think that鈥檚 most reasonable, after all? I think I shall become quite a thorough Dutchman again, in character as well as in my drawing and painting style. But I think that my having been abroad for some time and my having seen a few things there which it is not superfluous to know will prove useful to me. When you get to London, I wish you would give my best regards to my old friends, George Read and Richardson.
I met Mr. Obach at The Hague this summer.
George Read is, if you like, a very ordinary man, in that he is not superior either in business or in knowledge; but if one knows him somewhat intimately, as a man and a personality, there is none more faithful, more kind-hearted, more sensitive than he. He is so humorous and so witty, and so smart in everyday things, that he is quite a valuable friend in that respect. If I might choose whom I should most like to see again of all my acquaintances in England, it would certainly be George Read. Therefore, if you would do me a favour, you must be sure to look him up and tell him that I hope we will renew our former acquaintance, and that I will write to him someday.
But I will do so only after you have seen him and after I have started painting.
For, Theo, with painting my real career begins. Don鈥檛 you think I am right to consider it so?
And now adieu, a handshake in thought, and believe me,
Yours sincerely, Vincent