7. In his day
Charles Emmanuel Serret was a reasonably successful painter of landscapes and genre works featuring children, in which the influence of
Jean-François Millet can be traced. Little is known about his life; there is no information about the difficulties he encountered as an artist.
Around the beginning of June 1885, Theo told his
mother: ‘I showed his [i.e. Vincent’s] work to an old painter (his name is Serret), who saw and experienced a great deal in his life and besides has a good heart and a clear head’ (FR b939).
8. Only part of the letter that
Mr van Gogh wrote Theo about the letter Vincent mentions was preserved. It is consequently unclear whether he said anything to Theo about the idea of ‘two brothers... painters’. The surviving passage reads: ‘Yesterday the evening post brought us three more letters from Vincent. It seems to me that it’s
going against the grain with him again. One letter is a response to something in a letter from his
Ma, that she delighted to see the sun shine and that fortunately it shines for everyone. It appears that the poor fellow is in a depressed mood, but how could it be otherwise? Every time he looks back at the past and how he has broken with natural states, the painful aspects of that must surely make themselves felt? Oh, I can easily imagine how hard it must be for him at times.
If only he had the courage to consider the possibility that the cause of much of what has arisen out of his eccentricity can be found in himself. But it doesn’t seem to me that he feels blame himself, but rather bitterness towards others, and particularly towards the gentlemen in The Hague.
In his second letter, he says that he is financially embarrassed. He had expected your allowance, but it hadn’t come, and while the last you sent was more than he needed for his keep, he had purchased paints and canvas etc. for his work. Now he had to pay 14 guilders for his board and he noticed that the people were looking at him with suspicion. He asked me if it was possible to advance him the 14 guilders or if needs be half of it. I sent him a 14-guilder postal order by first post this morning.
But my dear Theo, you must not put yourself in difficulty because of your generous allowance. I can well understand that you have your own concerns, and wouldn’t it be better if from now on we sent the intended share together? You half and we too? In your last letter you said ‘you don’t have to send him money’. It could also very well be that he has spent an unwisely large sum on requirements, without keeping any cash in hand. I am writing you all this to keep you informed. But let us be cautious towards him, for he is evidently in a perverse mood again. How much better it would be (if people dared risk it with him) if he were to board somewhere at a fixed price. But that would only lead to dissatisfaction again.
Ma and I are naturally entirely under the impression of his last letters’. Part of the letter is missing here.
Mrs van Gogh added in the margin: ‘we said so often – how we wish he would come without its being necessary, while we still have our health, but now all that illusion has gone again ... Goodbye dear Theo, give
Marie our regards when you write to her’ (FR b2247, Friday, 30 November 1883).
9. After ‘not’ Van Gogh crossed out: ‘After all – aside from our “present” case (that does not have to do here with G&Cie
[xxx] [xxxxxxxxxx] as long as you Theo you
[xxxxx]) you
now know more about the last word of my departure from G&Cie than ever before. Am I saying too much here?’ (Apres tout – afgescheiden van ons “onderhavig” geval (dat hier niet met G&Cie
[xxx] [xxxxxxxxxx] te maken heeft zoo lang gij Theo U v
[xxxxx]) weet gij
nu meer le fin mot van mijn weggaan bij G&Cie dan ooit te voren_ Zeg ik hier
[om
[?] te veel?–)