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RM06 Note to Theo van Gogh. Paris, probably September or October 1875.

metadata
No. RM06 (Brieven 1990 048, Complete Letters )
From: Vincent van Gogh
To: Theo van Gogh
Date: Paris, probably September or October 1875

Source status
Original manuscript

Location
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, inv. no. b49 b V/1962

Date
This small sheet probably dates from September or October 1875, in a period when the subject of bread came up several times. In letter 52 of 29 September that year, Vincent asks Theo if he has started eating extra bread yet, and he speaks of it again in letters 55 and 56 of October. In De brieven 1990 this note was printed with letter 49 of Friday, 17 September 1875, but we can see no good reason for that.

original text
 1r:1
Gij eet immers goed? Eet vooral maar zooveel brood als gij trek in hebt.1 Wel te ruste, ik moet mijn laarzen gaan poetsen voor morgen.–

translation
 1r:1
You are eating well, aren’t you? Be sure and eat as much bread as you like.1 Good-night, I have to go and polish my boots for tomorrow.
notes
1. Possibly an allusion to Prov. 20:13: ‘and thou shalt be satisfied with bread’.