568 Vincent van Gogh and Andries Bonger to Theo van Gogh. Paris, on or about Wednesday, 18 August 1886.

metadata

No. 568 (Brieven 1990 571, Complete Letters 460)
From: Vincent van Gogh
To: Theo van Gogh
Date: Paris, on or about Wednesday, 18 August 1886

Source status

Original manuscript

Location

Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, inv. no. b500 V/1962

Date

Theo is in the Netherlands, but we do not know the precise dates of his trip. In any event the visit took place in August 1886, because he returned to Paris on 26 August (FR b1844). Theo usually had two weeks’ holiday, starting at the weekend. This would mean that he could not have set out any earlier than the weekend of 14 August. Since his letter from the Netherlands arrived in Paris ‘this morning’ (l. 1*) and he was able to report on conversations he had had, at least a few days of his stay must already have elapsed. We have therefore dated the letter on or about Wednesday, 18 August 1886.

Additional

Vincent and Andries Bonger both wrote to Theo; Bonger read Vincent’s letter and referred to its contents in his own letter, written on the same sheet.

original text

1r:1

Waarde Theo,

Van morgen ontvingen wij1 Uw schrijven. En vinden dat het al heel mooi is dat ge de zaak hebt geentameerd – en het ijs gebroken in zoover ge er met de Hollandsche heeren over gesproken hebt &c.2

En mijn “elle sera à la vapeur” zie ik nog niet in dat onjuist is, daar ik zelf dat à la vapeur zijn in ’t verschiet zie en op staanden voet slechts in zoover dat onze energie à la vapeur moet wezen. In ’t verschiet zie ik ’t wel.– En wat op staanden voet aangaat, ge herinnert U nog dat ik U zeide: Vang desnoods deze keer bot, maar dan is er vast eens over gesproken – en dan moet er een tweeden togt naar Holland van Bonger en U zamen overheen.

Voorloopig is er alle reden om met vader Pangloss te zeggen, tout est pour le mieux dans le meilleur des mondes.3 Maar nu, kerel, de oplossing van het vraagstuk S.4 die ge in Uw brief van heden geeft, n.l. “Zij er uit of ik er uit”, zou heel kort, bondig en afdoend wezen – als het uitvoerbaar was.–

Doch gij zult op moeielijkheden stuiten die Bonger en ik dezer dagen onder de oogen hadden en waar wij ons uiterste best op doen om er licht in te krijgen. Die moeielijkheden zijn anders dan ge denkt maar het is nu ’t moment niet in details te treden; wij zullen U er alles van vertellen als ge terugkomt.

Dat gij niet bij S. en S. niet bij U hoort is dunkt me vast en zeker. en dat het dus uitgemaakt moet worden ook – maar hoe?– Het is goed dat gij U er op voorbereid houdt dat de zaak misschien niet kan afgemaakt worden op de door U voorgestelde wijze, daar door haar te brusqueeren ge haar lijnregt of tot zelfmoord zoudt kunnen brengen of haar gek maken, waarvan de terugwerking op uw zelf natuurlijk triest zou zijn en U voor altijd zou kunnen knakken.–

1v:2

Geen ongelukken dus s.v.p. Nu heb ik tegen Bonger ook gezegd wat ik tot U zeide, dat ge haar aan een ander moest zien over te doen, en tegen Bonger heb ik ten volle gezegd hoe ik het voelde – dat een arrangement à l’amiable dat vrij wel voor de hand ligt, is dat ge haar overdoet aan mij. Zooveel is zeker, indien zoowel gij als zijzelve er in berusten wildet dan ben ik bereid S. van U over te nemen, liefst echter zonder haar te trouwen doch als ’t beter uitkomt dan zelfs met een mariage de raison. Ik schrijf U dit kortaf opdat gij vóór Uw terugkomst nog tijd zoudt hebben er eens over te denken. Daar zij zoodoende het huishouden zou kunnen doen en daar zij zich zelf bedruipt door haar werk, ware ’t voor U eer eene bezuiniging dan andersom. Lucie5 heeft haar congé, ik heb haar gezegd dat gij er niet mede zoudt doorgaan omdat het te duur uitkwam, maar haar aangehouden tot Uw terugkomst omdat gij dan kunt beslissen hoe ’t huishouden wezen zal, en ingeval die beslissing niet den eersten besten dag genomen kan worden is ’t welligt wenschelijk tot er beslist is met S. het huishouden op den zelfden voet te laten wat Lucie betreft.–

Kondt gij zelf in dit arrangement treden dan zie ik als eerste gevolg voor U er in dat gij U geheel vrij man zoudt voelen en uw eigen engagement6 à la vapeur zou gaan.–

Goeden moed en bedaardheid.–

Wat het werk betreft, ik heb een pendant voor die bouquet die ge bij U hebt,7 verder een tak witte lelies – wit, rose, groen – tegen zwart, in den geest van een zwart japansch verlakt8 met parelmoer ingelegd, die ge kent – dan een tak oranje tijgerlelies tegen blaauw fond, dan een bouquet daliahs, violet tegen geel fond, en Roode glaïeuls in een blaauwen vaas tegen licht geel.9

Bonger is bezig te lezen au Bonheur des dames10 en ik heb gelezen Bel ami van Guy de Maupassant.11

1v:3

Weet ge dat en Bonger en S. hier slapen en het zijn curieuse dagen, soms zijn we erg, erg bang voor haar en soms zijn we almagtig vrolijk en opgewekt. Maar S. is geducht gederangeerd. en het is nog lang niet over.

Dat het echter beslist af is tusschen U en haar zult ge weerkeerig pas voelen als ge elkaar terug ziet en ge hoeft dus niet te vreezen ge er weer aan vast raakt. Maar gij moet veel met haar praten en haar zien te bezorgen. Denk er over na in den tusschentijd van nu en dat ge weer terugkomt, aux grands maux les grands remèdes.12

Bonger schrijft hier zeker bij, tenzij hij heden U van zijn kantoor uit schrijft.13 Groeten thuis, met een handdruk.

b. à t.

Vincent

De ruil tegen 2 aquarellen Isabey zou ik heel goed vinden, vooral indien het figuren van Isabey zijn.–14 Zie er de pendant die ik hier heb bij te ruilen en iets anders er bij te krijgen. Zeg eens, is het onmogelijk de Otto Weber van Prinsenh. te krijgen, die mooie herfst.15 ik zou daarvoor hun een serie maken van 4.– We hebben meer aan schilderijen dan aan teekeningen. maar doe zoo als het uitkomt.

[Continued by Andries Bonger]

De fond van V’s redeneering is ook mijne overtuiging. De kwestie is S. de oogen te openen. Ze is hoegenaamd niet verliefd op je, maar ’t is alsof je haar behekst hebt.– Ze is zedelijk zwaar ziek.– Het spreekt dat we haar, in dien toestand, niet aan haar lot hebben kunnen overlaten.– We zijn integendeel zoo hartelijk mogelijk voor haar geweest.– Zoo we ’t niet gedaan hadden zou ze waanzinnig geworden zijn.– Hetgeen me doet hoopen op haar genezing is hetgeen ze me gisteren avond zei: Que je suis bête de ne pouvoir me faire un raisonnement. Ze schijnt dus wel te gevoelen waaraan ’t hapert.– De groote moeielijkheid is haar koppigheid, waartegen we 1r:4 ons reeds verscheidene malen het hoofd gestoten hebben.– Met hardheid is niets aan te vangen.– Het is uiterlijk moeielijk voorshands een plan te maken, (dat van Vincent is onuitvoerbaar; dunkt me) maar ik hoop dat je hiervan doordrongen bent dat je haar verkeerd hebt aangepakt; de verhouding van het laatste jaar heeft tot niets geleid dan haar geheel van de wijs te helpen. Het zou misschien nog veel beter geweest zijn geheel met elkaâr te leven: dan zou ze zelf wel ingezien hebben, dat je volstrekt niet bij elkaâr pasten.– Wanneer ze een maand lang met iemand anders leven kon, die haar zinnen wist te boeien, haar verzorgde (want ze heeft veel zorg noodig) en haar gezondheid weêr opfleurde, zou je vergeten zijn.– Haar toestand heeft veel van de overspanning van de meeste meisjes in Holland.– Het zal niet minder moeielijk zijn S. van de hare te overtuigen, dan rust te brengen in de gemoederen daarginds.–

Ik vermoed dat je mijn zuster Jo en Annie niet getroffen zult hebben; beiden zijn, meen ik, uit de stad.–16 We verlangen beiden te weten hoe de zaken te Amsterdam staan.–

Veel genoegen deed ’t me te hooren dat V. thans erkend wordt.– Wat een voldoening voor het vaste vertrouwen dat je in hem gehad hebt! Hij heeft een paar heele mooie dingen gemaakt; die op gelen fond doen heel goed. Het ensemble van de bloemenstukken is heel vroolijk en kleurrijk; maar sommige zijn plat, waar van ik hem maar niet overtuigen kan.– Hij antwoordt me aldoor: maar ik heb er dat en dat kleurenkontrast in willen brengen. Comme si je ne m’en fichais pas de ce qu’il a voulu faire! Schrijf ons wanneer je terug komt. Tracht te komen met vernieuwde lichaamskrachten en een klaren geest en een vasten wil. Ze zijn alle drie noodig. De toestand is anders volstrekt niet hopeloos, maar wel zorgelijk. Spijker gaat maar heel langzaam vooruit.17 Groet je familie van me en geloof me van harte

je vrind

Bonger

translation

1r:1

My dear Theo,

We1 received your letter this morning. And think that it’s very good that you’ve already raised the matter — and broken the ice in so far as you’ve spoken to the Dutch gentlemen about it &c.2

And I don’t yet see that my ‘it’ll go full steam ahead’ is wrong, since I myself can see that full steam ahead is in prospect and right now only in so far as our energy must be at full steam ahead. I do see it in prospect. And as to right now, you still remember that I said to you: come away empty-handed this time if need be, but then at least it has been discussed – and then there will have to be a second trip to Holland by Bonger and you together.

For the time being there’s every reason to say, with père Pangloss, all is for the best in the best of possible worlds.3 But now, old chap, the solution to the S. question4 that you give in your letter of today, that’s to say ‘Either she goes or I go’, would be very short, sweet and conclusive — if it were practicable.

But you’ll run up against difficulties that Bonger and I have been facing these last few days, and which we’re doing our utmost best to shed light on. These difficulties are different from what you think, but now isn’t the time to go into details: we’ll tell you all about it when you get back.

That you don’t belong with S. nor S. with you is absolutely certain, it seems to me. And that it has to be finished, too — but how? It’s a good thing for you to be prepared that the affair perhaps cannot be ended in the way you suggest, because by rushing her you could simply either provoke her to suicide or send her mad, and the effect of that on you would be tragic, of course, and could shatter you for ever. 1v:2

So no accidents please. Now I’ve also told Bonger what I told you, that you’ll have to pass her on to someone else, and I told Bonger at length how I saw it – that an amicable arrangement which is virtually self-evident is that you pass her on to me. This much is certain, if both you and she were willing to accept it, then I’m prepared to take S. over from you, preferably, though, without marrying her, but if it works out better then even with a marriage of convenience. I’m writing this to you in a few words so that you’d still have time to think about it before your return. Since this way she could do the housekeeping, and since she can support herself by her work, it would be an economy for you rather than the other way round. Lucie5 has been given notice; I told her that you wouldn’t go on with it because it worked out too expensive, but kept her on until your return because you can then decide how the housekeeping will be, and in the event that this decision can’t be taken straightaway it’s probably advisable to keep the housekeeping on the same footing as regards Lucie until something is decided with S.

If you could enter into this arrangement yourself, then I see as the first consequence for you that you would feel yourself an entirely free man and your own engagement6 would go full steam ahead.

Courage and composure.

As regards the work, I have a pendant for that bouquet that you have with you,7 and also a branch of white lilies — white, pink, green — against black, in the spirit of black Japanese lacquer8 inlaid with mother-of-pearl that you know — then a branch of orange tiger lilies on a blue ground, then a bouquet of dahlias, violet on a yellow ground, and red gladioli in a blue vase on light yellow.9

Bonger is reading Au bonheur des dames10 and I’ve read Bel-ami by Guy de Maupassant.11 1v:3

Do you know that Bonger and S. are sleeping here, and these are strange days, sometimes we’re very, very afraid of her, and sometimes we’re almighty merry and cheerful. But S. is terribly deranged, and it’s not over by a long shot.

Both of you will only feel that it’s finally finished between you and her when you see each other again, and so you don’t have to fear that you’ll get caught again. But you’ll have to talk to her a lot and try to get her settled. Think about it in the meantime between now and when you come back; serious remedies for serious ills.12

Bonger will certainly add something to this, unless he writes to you today from his office.13 Regards to everyone at home, with a handshake.

Yours truly,

Vincent

I’d be very pleased with the exchange for 2 Isabey watercolours, particularly if they’re figures by Isabey.14 See if you can exchange the pendant I have here as well and get something else as well. Tell me, is it impossible to get the Otto Weber from Princenhage, that fine autumn?15 For that I would make a series of 4 for them. Paintings are more use to us than drawings, but do what’s convenient.

[Continued by Andries Bonger]

I’m also convinced of the basis of V.’s reasoning. The issue is to open S.’s eyes. She’s not in love with you at all, but it’s as if you’ve bewitched her. Morally she is seriously sick. It is obvious that we can’t abandon her to her fate in that condition. On the contrary, we’ve been as cordial towards her as possible. If we hadn’t done that she would have gone mad. What makes me hope for her recovery is what she said to me yesterday evening: “How stupid of me that I can’t think straight.” So she does seem to realize where it has gone wrong. The great difficulty is her stubbornness, and we’ve 1r:4 run up against that several times. Treating her harshly doesn’t work. It’s extremely difficult to come up with a plan in advance (Vincent’s is unworkable, in my opinion), but I hope that you realize from this that you’ve dealt with her the wrong way. The relationship of the past year has done nothing but make her lose her head. It would perhaps have been far better if you had lived together completely, then she would have seen for herself that you absolutely did not belong together. If she could live with someone else for a month who succeeded in fascinating her, who took care of her (for she needs a lot of care) and revived her health, you would be forgotten. Her condition is a lot like the nervous exhaustion of most girls in Holland. It will be no less difficult to convince S. of hers than to calm the emotions over there.

I suspect that you won’t have seen my sister Jo and Annie; I think both of them are out of town.16 We both long to know how matters stand in Amsterdam.

I was very pleased to hear that V. is now getting recognition. What repayment for the steadfast faith that you’ve had in him! He has made a few very beautiful things; the ones on a yellow ground look very good. The ensemble of flower pieces is very gay and colourful; some, though, are flat, but I just can’t persuade him of that. He keeps replying: but I wanted to get this or that colour contrast into it. As if I gave a damn what he wanted to do! Write to tell us when you’re coming back. Try to come with renewed vitality and a clear mind and a steadfast will. All three are necessary. The situation otherwise isn’t hopeless at all, but it is worrying. Spijker is only very slowly getting better.17 My regards to your family, and believe me wholeheartedly

your friend

Bonger

notes

1. Theo was staying in the Netherlands. His letter was addressed to Vincent and Andries Bonger. At that time Andries was living at 80 rue d’Hauteville (FR b1030), but he was staying with Vincent at 54 rue Lepic, as we learn from a letter to his parents (Paris, Friday 27 August 1886): ‘My invalids (Vincent van Gogh also fell ill during Theo’s absence) have hindered me from writing. Otherwise I should have thanked you much sooner for the warmth of the reception you gave Theo. He was in raptures over his stay with you (he got back Thursday morning). It also pleases me greatly that he is to your liking. The longer one gets to know him, the more one learns to appreciate his fine mind. He is always entertaining company. I slept at the apartment while he was away, because Vincent was alone. ... I now go to eat with Van Gogh every evening as a permanent thing. It does take up a lot of time, since he lives in Montmartre, and the evenings are now taken up altogether, but it’s more pleasant for us both. The three of us always have plenty to talk about’ (FR b1844). The flat on the third floor ‘had three reasonably large rooms, a tiny study and a little kitchen. ... Vincent slept in the study, and behind that was the studio, an ordinary room with one not particularly large window’, wrote Jo van Gogh-Bonger in her introduction to Brieven 1914, p. xlvii.

2. Theo used his stay in the Netherlands to try to get support for his plans to set up his own art gallery with Andries Bonger. He talked to his Uncle Vincent, but his uncle saw no merit in the idea. We do not know who else is meant by the ‘Dutch gentlemen’, but it is reasonable to assume that he also spoke to H.G. Tersteeg. On the basis of Vincent’s remark about Uncle Cor and Uncle Vincent in letter 659 we can assume that Theo approached Uncle Cor too.

A year later, on 26 July 1887, Theo was to write to Jo Bonger about his uncle’s reaction: ‘I had several artists in mind whose work I admired and with whom I was sure I could do business. André shared my views and we arranged that I would approach my uncle, who had once promised to help me, to get the money we needed to carry out our plan and start a business together. … My uncle refused to help and fobbed me off, kindly at first, but later, when I persisted, quite firmly. André’s attempts to raise funds were no more successful. For a while I was bitterly disappointed, so much so that I fell ill.’ See Brief happiness 1999, pp. 63-64, letter 1.

3. These words are quoted from the ‘philosopher’ Pangloss in Voltaire’s Candide (1759), where they occur repeatedly. The novel tells the story of the journey of the young, open-minded Candide, who is driven out of the palace where he lives. He has learned from the household philosopher Pangloss that he lives in the best possible world: ‘Tout est pour le mieux dans le meilleur des mondes’. During his wanderings Candide encounters a great deal of misery (so that he begins to have doubts), but nonetheless in the end he calls for fortitude with the cry: ‘we must cultivate our own garden’ (il faut cultiver notre jardin).

Later in the correspondence, Van Gogh quotes Pangloss’s maxim about the best of all possible worlds several times more. However he interprets it as a genuine exhortation to be optimistic; the irony with which Voltaire put these words into the quasi-philosopher’s mouth largely escapes him.

4. At this time Theo had a relationship with a woman referred to only as ‘S’, about whom nothing further is known.

5. Lucie was evidently the domestic help in Theo’s apartment.

6. This remark appears to indicate that Theo had told his brother about his feelings for Jo Bonger, whom he had met for the first time a year earlier, on 7 August 1885. Andries Bonger was also aware of them, as emerges from Theo’s first letter to Jo; see Brief happiness 1999, pp. 63-64.

7. Theo had taken a flower still life by Vincent with him on his trip to show it (or sell it?) – possibly to his uncles or to H.G. Tersteeg – or to use as an exchange for two watercolours by Isabey (see n. 14 below). The works in question cannot be identified.

8. Japanese lacquer, an artistically lacquered object.

9. The four works described here cannot be identified. Van Gogh painted new scenes on top of several still lifes, and that might be what happened with these. See cat. Amsterdam 2011.

10. See for Zola’s Au bonheur des dames: letter 333, n. 35, and letter 464, n. 2 ff.

11. Guy de Maupassant, Bel-ami (1885). The protagonist is George Duroy who, on his return from military service in Algeria, is in danger of descending into a life of poverty until a childhood friend helps find him a job on a newspaper. As well as amorous intrigues in mondaine circles this later results in a political career. Duroy’s nickname is ‘Bel-ami’.

12. Saying.

13. Andries Bonger worked at the offices of the insurance brokers Geo Wehry in Paris.

14. The Van Gogh brothers had started to build up an art collection together. One way of acquiring works was to swap them for work by Vincent – and placing Vincent’s work elsewhere would also automatically increase the chances of his establishing a reputation. Evidently Theo tried to come by two watercolours by Eugène Isabey in this manner while he was in the Netherlands, but this transaction did not take place. See exhib. cat. Amsterdam 1999, p. 161.

15. The sale catalogue of the paintings in Uncle Vincent’s estate lists two works by Otto Weber: Sous les noyers (Under the walnut trees) (sold for 600 guilders to Van Wisselingh in The Hague; present whereabouts unknown) and Sous les châtaigniers (Under the chestnut trees) (sold for 395 guilders to M.A. van Walcheren in The Hague; present whereabouts unknown). This latter canvas features ‘a beautiful autumn sun’ (un beau soleil d’automne), so it is probably the work Vincent means. The picture is described as follows: ‘In a wooded Breton landscape three children are sitting at the foot of an old chestnut tree. In a beautiful autumn sunset, which penetrates in a thousand places and casts a bright light over the tree-trunks and the ground, three cows make their way to the cowshed.’ (Dans un paysage boisé en Bretagne trois enfants sont assis au pied d’un vieux châtaignier. Au coucher d’un beau soleil d’automne, qui pénètre en mille endroits et éclaire vivement les troncs des arbres et le sol, trois vaches prennent le chemin de l’étable.) See auct. cat. The Hague 1889, pp. 54-55, cat. nos. 154-155 (Lugt 1938-1987, no. 48116).

16. In May 1886 Bonger had become officially engaged to Anne (Annie) Marie Louise van der Linden; he had already informed his parents of his intentions in October 1885 (FR b1825). Both Annie and his sister Jo lived in Amsterdam (Jo at her parent’s house). See Brief happiness 1999, pp. 14, 21.

17. Very probably François Spijker, a colleague and friend of Bonger’s in Paris. He is mentioned repeatedly in the correspondence between Andries and Jo, as well as in letters between Jo and Theo (FR b1824; b1832; b1843; b1029; b1846; b1034; b4285; b4286; b4290 and b4302). There is no Spijker listed in the Paris directories, and the ‘Archives de la Préfecture de Police’ contain no data on the registration of foreigners prior to 1900. Cf. exhib. cat. Paris 1988, p. 367.