1*I ought to have 2answered your letter ever so long ago1 3but working pretty hard every day/ at 4night I feel so often to weary to 5write. As it rains to day I avail myself 6of the opportunity. Last Sunday I have 7met Macknight and a Danish painter 8and I intend to go to see him at Fonvieille 9next monday.2 I feel sure I shall 10prefer him as an artist to what he 11is as an art critic/ his vieuws as such 12being so narrow that they make me 13smile.
14I heartily hope for you that you will 15be able to leave Paris for good soon3 16and no doubt leaving Paris will 17do you a world of good in all 18respects. As for me I remain 19enraptured with the scenery here/ 20am working at a series of blooming 21orchards.4 And unvoluntarily 22thought often of you because you 23did the same in Sicily.5 I 24wished you would one day or 25another/ when I shall send 26over some work to Paris/ exchange 27a Sicilian study with me – in 28case you should have one to 29spare_–6
30You know I thought and think 31such a deal of those of yours_ 32I don’t gainsay that your 33portraits are more serious 34and higher art but I think 35it meritory in you and a 36rare quality that together with 37a perfection as appeared to me 38the Fabian and Mc Knight portraits/7 39you are at the same time able 40to give a Scherzo/ the 41adagio con expressione/ the 42gay note in one word/ together 43with more manly conceptions 44of a higher order. And I so heartily 45hope that you will continue to 46give us simultanément 47both the grave and elaborate works 48and those aforesaid scherzos.– 49Then let them say if they like 50that you are not always serious 51or that you have done work 52of a lighter sort_– So much the 53'worse for the critics & the better for you_
54I have heard nothing of 55our friend Mr Reid. I felt rather 56anxious on his account because 57I feel sure that he was on a false 58track. My brother has received a letter 59of him but pretty unsatisfactory.8
60I was very much taken in by him during 61the first 6 weeks or 2 months9 but after 62that period he was in pecuniary difficulties 63and in the same acted in a way 64that made on 65me the impression that he had lost his 66wits.
67Which I still think was the case and 68'consequently he’s not responsable 69even if his doings then were 70pretty unfair. He is very nervous 71– as we all are – and can’t help 72being so_– He is prompted to act 73in his crisis of nerves to make money 74– – – whilst painters would 75make pictures.....
76So much to say that I consider 77the dealerstronger in him than 78THE ARTIST though there be a battle 79in his conscience concerning this – 79aof the which battle I do not yet know the result_ 80So much – pour votre gouverne – 81as I had the pleasure of introducing 82him to you/ feel bound to warn 83you with the same sympathy however 84for him because I found him artistic 85in pleading the Monticelli cause_–10 86In the which I took and take my part_ 87Witnessing the very scenery which 88inspired Monticelli I maintain 89this artists rights to public though 90too late appreciation_
91Surely Monticelli gives us not/ neither 92pretends to give us/ local colour or even local 93truth. But gives us something passionate 94and eternal – the rich coulour and rich sun 95of the glorious South in a true colourists way 96parralel with Delacroix’ conception of the South_11 97Viz_ that the South be represented now by 98contraste simultané of colours12 and 99their derivations and harmonies/ and 100not by forms or lines in themselves 101as the ancient artists did formerly/ 102by pure form greeks & Michel Ange/ 103or by pure line or delineation Rafael/ 104Mantegna/ Venetian primitifs_ 105 (Botticelli/ Cimabue/ Giotto/ Bellini.) 106Contrariwise the thing undertaken 107by P. Veronese & Titian – Colour_13 108The thing undertaken by Velasquez and 109Goya to be continued and – 110more fully or rather more universally done 111by the more universal 112knowledge we have & possess of the 113colours of the prism and their proprieties_14
114Hoping to write to you again and 115to hear of you pretty soon/