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233 To Theo van Gogh. The Hague, Tuesday, 30 May 1882.

metadata
No. 233 (Brieven 1990 232, Complete Letters 203)
From: Vincent van Gogh
To: Theo van Gogh
Date: The Hague, Tuesday, 30 May 1882

Source status
Original manuscript

Location
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, inv. no. b225 V/1962

Date
Date of postmark: Tuesday, 30 May 1882. Jo van Gogh-Bonger dated it 31 May in Brieven1914 – she probably based this on the Paris postmark, which is also on the postcard (the other occasion when she adopted the date of the received stamp was with letter 872).

Additional
Postcard (5 cents). Postmarks: ‘’SGRAVENHAGE 9-10 V / 30 MEI 82’ and ‘PARIS 3 (60) 3 / 1E.31 MAI 82’. It is addressed to ‘Monsieur Th. van Gogh/ 5 Rue de Laval/ Paris.’ Van Gogh probably wrote in English because the card could be read by anyone; cf. in this connection letter 223.

Ongoing topics
Payment of the rent to A.J. van der Drift (231)
Second order for drawings from Uncle Cor (214)

original text
 1r:1
My dear brother,
To day or tomorrow, being the 1st of June, I promised to pay my landlord f. 5. rent of studio for the month of April + f. 7.50 for last month – makes f. 12.50.
But not having up to now received any letter of yours since that of May 12th1 I have nothing to pay him his twelve guilders & 50c with. The man will surely not give me any longer delay but they can immediately sell my furniture publicly. Whatever may be your opinion concerning the things I told you – do not let it come to this scandal. My drawings for C.M. are ready but I shall not be able to get that money early enough. I say again – let us at all events avoid irregularity & public scandal and talk or write calmly on the subject till we know what ought to be done. Therefore I hope you will senta me what I so greatly want, & write. I work day & night & have a small drawing ready for you which I will send bye & bye.2 b I have no more money for a stamp, excuse the postcard, & believe me

Yours truly
Vincent

 1v:2
translation
 1r:1
My dear brother,
Today or tomorrow, being the 1st of June, I promised to pay my landlord 5 guilders rent of studio for the month of April + 7.50 guilders for last month — makes 12.50 guilders.
But not having up to now received any letter of yours since that of May 12th1 I have nothing to pay him his twelve guilders and 50 c with. The man will surely not give me any longer delay but they can immediately sell my furniture publicly. Whatever may be your opinion concerning the things I told you — do not let it come to this scandal. My drawings for C.M. are ready but I shan’t be able to get that money early enough. I say again — let us at all events avoid irregularity and public scandal and talk or write calmly on the subject till we know what ought to be done. So I hope you’ll send me what I so greatly want, and write. I work day and night and have a small drawing ready for you which I’ll send bye and bye.2 b I have no more money for a stamp, excuse the postcard, and believe me

Yours truly,
Vincent
 1v:2
notes
1. But earlier, immediately after receiving it, Van Gogh referred to a letter of 13 May (letter 227).
a. Read: ‘send’.
2. Whether by ‘small drawing’ here Van Gogh was referring to the dimensions is uncertain. A small drawing of a fish-drying barn is not known, but a few days later he sent Theo Fish-drying Barn (F 940 / JH 154 ), which measures 28.5 x 45 cm; see letter 235 and 237. In the latter he also talks about ‘little drawings’ in connection with this drawing.
b. Read: ‘by and by’.