漏 Copyright 2001 R. G. Harrison Letter 414 Nuenen, 21 or 28 June 1885
Dear Theo,
Today being Sunday, I want to write you again.
Because I forgot to say something of Uhde鈥檚 picture, 鈥淟aissez venir 脿 moi les petits enfants.鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> Yes, I like it, but it isn鈥檛 new.
And I prefer interiors in a bright tone with peasant children, without a mystic figure of Christ, as Isra毛ls or Artz paint them, to this one, where one gets a mystic Christ into the bargain.
The children are very expressive 鈥?but are they better than those by Labrichon, Fr猫re or even Knaus,
Vautier (in their best period)?
Do not think this unimportant, for all those people I mention were, especially in the past, extraordinarily clever in expressing character.
My objection to Uhde鈥檚 picture is that there is a certain coldness in it like in new brick houses and schools and the Methodist churches. And notwithstanding the great merits of the picture, excuse me, but it makes me long for Decamps鈥檚 or Isabey鈥檚 less orthodox style of painting.
There is after all something consumptive in it, and I think a Corot, a Dupr茅, a Millet, infinitely healthier in tone.
But I can only judge from the reproduction; perhaps if I saw the picture, I should get more reconciled to it as to technique.
You know how much I like the bright painters too, but you see it goes too far, and Mantz expresses it very subtly when he says, 鈥淐eux qui r锚vent toujours partout le maximum des clairs, trouveraient d鈥檜ne intensit茅 un peu noire les verts de M. Harpignies鈥?[those who are forever and everywhere dreaming of the maximum of light tones would find Mr. Harpignies鈥檚 greens somewhat black].
That鈥檚 it exactly: They begin to find heresy in every effect against a strong and coloured light, in every shadow 鈥?they never seem to walk early in the morning or in the evening at sunset 鈥?they want to see nothing but full daylight, or gaslight, or even electric light!
Now, the effect of all this on me is that I sometimes detect in myself a longing to see things like, for instance, 鈥淭he Moving Out鈥?by Nuyen, like an old Leys, like a Cabat, a Diaz, or Lepoitevin.
Perhaps you will call this nothing but my constant waywardness. But I begin by admitting that I find Uhde鈥檚 picture very good; only having found it good, I became conscious of an aftertaste that is not altogether peasant, at least not cheering, because that kind of painter generally doesn鈥檛 improve in his later pictures.
Well, it is a typical picture for the house Goupil & Co.; of their best. They have also had Knaus at Goupil鈥檚,
and Labrichon too. I assure you that I do not systematically despise all this, far from it. Does it express what I mean when I say it thus: 鈥淚t is a good picture of Messrs. Goupil & Co.鈥檚?鈥?Does it express what I mean when I say, 鈥淏eaucoup, mais beaucoup de talent 鈥?autant que possible 鈥?du g茅nie? Non.鈥?[Lots, oh,
lots of talent 鈥?as much as you like 鈥?but genius? No.]
This picture of Uhde鈥檚 is much more German (notice in Mantz鈥檚 article how slyly he chaffs Meyerheim,
鈥渘ature mortier鈥?1 鈥?did you notice it?), I repeat, much more German than it seems.
Oh, how wise, those new, those arrogant people of the new progress who criticize Harpignies, I am sure that you cannot stand them either, and in character they are a new edition of Monnier鈥檚 M. Prudhomme.
To speak of something more stimulating. I enclose a wood engraving after Clausen; he began rather in a German style but has improved, as Neuhuys also often improved.
The reason why I send you this little print is 鈥?here at last you have something of English art; it reminds me of work by Pinwell and Fred. Walker. It is different from Millet, but you will see, however long you look at it, it never bores you.
Don鈥檛 throw it away, for one so seldom sees something of that rare art, which one must not mistake for Bridgmann, for instance.
And the other little print, though less virile in conception, is mighty good as to sentiment and also quite original.
Every day I work hard on drawing figures. But I must have a hundred of them, even more, before I am through. I want to find something different from my old drawings and to grasp the character of the peasants 鈥?especially those from this neighbourhood.
And it is about harvest time, and then I must make a campaign both of corn reaping, and potato digging. At that time it is twice as hard to get models, and yet it is necessary, for I become more and more convinced 漏 Copyright 2001 R. G. Harrison that one cannot be too conscientious, that one must always exert oneself on what Daudet calls 鈥渢he search for the model鈥?(in L鈥橦istoire de mon Livre, an article about 鈥淟es rois en exil,鈥?which I just read).
I should like to show Serret the studies of the harvest too. Therefore I cannot tell exactly when I shall be able to send the portfolio with studies from the model. But at all events it will be soon. I also hope to send before the harvest about three more cottages, painted studies, like those last ones. Am I wrong when I think there is some good in the old tower? Have you already varnished it?
Both are now dry enough for a little varnish, and need it badly, because both are painted over something else. Can you fix the time of your coming approximately? And are there no new Lhermittes? Goodbye,
with a handshake,
Ever yours, Vincent
I repeat, there are only too many examples of the very bright painters later becoming chalky or oily; it is because I noticed this so often that I have certain reservations, that I cannot altogether admire Uhde鈥檚 picture. 鈥淭he Two Blacksmiths鈥?by Raffaelli is very beautiful.
1. In French, a still life is a 鈥渘ature mort,鈥?literally 鈥渄ead nature.鈥?The pun means 鈥渘ature which has died.鈥?script type="text/javascript" src="../nexts_y.js">
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