Letter R22 The Hague, c. 15 January 1883
Amice Rappard,
Is your health still improving? I am eager for news from you. The other day I bought twenty-one volumes of the Graphic, namely 1870-1880. What do you think of that? I hope to receive them this week. I got them very cheap, you understand, or else I couldn't have afforded it. But I heard that they were for sale, and I strongly recommended them to someone who is also interested in them.
I have been working hard since your illness on black-and-white drawings, and I hope to learn a few more things about the forces of black and white from these Graphics. I wish we could have a talk again, for, my dear fellow,
there is such a lot to do!
What I have been working at especially of late is heads 鈥?heads of the people 1 鈥?fishermen's heads with sou'westers, among other things.
As soon as I have looked through the Graphics, I shall write you again, and then in more detail. Of course I shall get a lot of duplicates in this way.
Now you will oblige me greatly by giving me more particulars about the lot you bought 鈥?I mean not only by telling me whether there are duplicates, but also what interesting prints you have found in general.
I have found a 鈥淗ead of a Little Girl鈥?by Percy Macquoid which is splendid; it is a wood engraving after a picture of his. Other beautiful sheets that I have found are, to mention only some of them: B. Constant 鈥淪ick Fellahs on the Bank of the Nile鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> Julien Dupr茅 鈥淔emale Cowherd鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> Smith 鈥淎 Street in South Lambeth鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> Ridley 鈥淏oat Race鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> Robinson 鈥?鈥? Green 鈥淪treet in Whitechapel鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> R茅gamey 鈥淧rison in New York鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> Thulstrup 鈥淲orkroom in Sailors' Hospital or Home鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> Abbey 鈥淲inter Girl鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> 鈥?鈥淧eter Stuyvesandt鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> Reinhardt 鈥淔ishermen鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> Barnard Six sheets Ed. Fr猫re 鈥淲oodgatherers鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> Buckmann 鈥淩enkeys on Hampstead Heath鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> 鈥?鈥淕athering Poppies鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> Waller 鈥淭ip Girls鈥?(Miners) I did not get these Graphics without trouble. For instance, the Jew I bought them from forced me to do two portraits of his father and mother (i.e. two of each!) But isn鈥檛 it a lucky find!
But it鈥檚 so funny that they鈥檙e already my property and that I haven鈥檛 even seen them. The fact is that they are stored in an auction room together with a big lot of books, but the Jew will get them out this week.
Among the books there is Gavarni鈥檚 La Mascarade Humaine, which I have, but what about you? And the Jew has a lot of other things besides, some of them probably good.
Well, more soon; I hope your recovery is progressing steadily 鈥?in haste!
Ever yours, Vincent
1. Vincent wrote this in English.