Theo also wrote on 3 May to his mother, saying how happy he was to receive Vincent’s letters: ‘It is nevertheless progress, that he could write again. At the time he didn’t have the courage to read your and my letters, for his indisposition is characterized above all by melancholy spells, and everything that reminds him of the past makes him sad and melancholy. Through it all he longs to be allowed to leave the asylum and then, for example, to come here, accompanied by someone from the asylum. May that happen without harming him. Dr Peyron would prefer that he stay a while longer, but Vincent already wrote earlier on that he thought he could recover better in a house without nuns. I’ve written to both of them, to Vincent to say that he must talk to Dr Peyron before making a decision and to the Doctor that I very much wanted to comply with Vincent’s wishes, but did not want to do anything imprudent, so I’m longing to hear something from them ... I forgot to tell you that Vincent sent a number of new paintings, including some very beautiful ones. It’s amazing that, in spite of it all, he can still deliver so much work’ (FR b929).