1. On 22 February Vincent had had another attack, as Peyron informed Theo in a letter written two days later: ‘He has had another attack, which prevents him from writing to you, and which occurred following a visit to Arles. I note that the crises are recurring more frequently and come after each journey he makes outside this home. I do not believe he is succumbing to any excesses when he is able to move freely, as I have only ever known him to be sober and reserved. I am forced to acknowledge, however, that he becomes ill every time he makes a little journey. ... I was obliged to send two men with a carriage to Arles to collect him, and it is not known where he spent the night of Saturday to Sunday. He took a painting with him of an Arlésienne, which was not recovered’ (Il a un nouvel acces qui ne lui permet pas de vous écrire, et qui lui est survenu après un voyage à Arles. Je remarque que les accès se rapprochent et surviennent après chaque déplacement qu’il fait en dehors de la maison. Je ne crois pas qu’il se livre à aucun excès lorsqu’il est libre de ses mouvements, car je l’ai toujours vu sobre et réservé. Mais je suis obligé de reconnaître que chaque fois qu’il fait une petite excursion, il devient malade ... J’ai été obligé d’envoyer deux hommes avec une voiture pour le prendre à Arles, et l’on ne sait pas où il a passé la nuit de samedi à dimanche. Il avait emporté avec lui un tableau représentant une Arlésienne; on ne l’a pas retrouvé). See FR b1062; Hulsker 1971, p. 43. Van Gogh had apparently taken along the portrait, one of the five he had painted on the basis of Gauguin’s drawing Madame Ginoux (study for ‘Night café, Arles’) [97], with the intention of giving it to Madame Ginoux.
Van Gogh did not recover from this latest attack until the end of April 1890 (see letter 863). On 14 March 1890 Theo wrote to Willemien: ‘No news from Vincent himself, but a letter from Dr Peyron to say that he was still unable to read or write, but that he hoped to get him on his feet again. Still, he says he shouldn’t conceal the fact that, now that the crisis has lasted so long, it will be more difficult for him to pull through’ (FR b927).
[97]
2. This letter from Gauguin is not known. What Van Gogh says further on in the letter about Gauguin’s doubts about painting (l. 45) might also refer to Gauguin’s letter 840 of about 17 January.
3. Almond blossom (F 671 / JH 1891 [2890]).
[2890]
4. Russell’s letter is not known. Van Gogh’s letter to him is letter 849.
5. Russell had been living since the spring of 1888 on the Breton island of Belle-Île.
6. Theo had undoubtedly told Vincent about his Pissarro exhibition. See letter 858, n. 9.
7. Van Gogh possibly wrote ‘les’ instead of ‘tes’.
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