2. Shortly after this, Van Gogh did in fact go to see his
parents. Mrs van Gogh wrote to Theo to tell him how Vincent had suddenly shown up on the evening of Friday, 15 August with a ‘Hello Father, hello Mother’. His parents had urged him to come home some time ‘because we were very worried about him and he didn’t have anything to do there anyway’. A four-day stay with his parents had helped him to regain his strength somewhat, and he had started to wear presentable clothes, such as his father’s favourite new cardigan and his summer jacket, as well as Theo’s old underwear. He had also acquired a new pair of boots. His new attire did little to improve his behaviour, however: he kept to himself and seemed to be developing facial tics: ‘He reads
Dickens all day long and does nothing else, speaking only when required to answer a question, often correctly, often oddly, if only he would benefit from the good in those books; not a word about anything else – his work, his past or future – we’re not in a hurry, for he must recover fully. He eats and sleeps well and is completely at ease, though he pulls ugly faces now and then. Even so,
in the circumstances it’s good that he’s here, but we have no idea what to do. Tomorrow he’s going with Pa to Princenhage;
Cor’s boys will also be there to see the paintings, they’ll be coming by railway. Pa will go on foot with him, perhaps then he’ll say something’ (FR b2492, 19 August).