1*for ever so long I have 2been wanting to write to you – but then 3the work has so taken me up. We have 4harvest time here at present and I am 5always in the fields.
6And when I sit down to write I 7am so abstracteda by recollections of 8what I have seen that I leave the 9letter. For instance at the present 10occasion I was writing to you and 11going to say something about Arles 12as it is – and as it was in the 13old days of Boccaccio.–1
14Well/ instead of continuing the letter 15I began to draw on the very paper 16the head of a dirty little girl I saw 17this afternoon whilst I was painting 18a view of the river with a greenish yellow 19sky.2
20This dirty “mudlark”3 I thought 21yet had a vague florentine sort of figure 22like the heads in the Monticelli 23pictures, and reasoning and drawing 24this wise I worked on the letter
1v:2 25I was writing to you. I enclose 26the slip of scribbling, that you may 27judge of my abstractions and forgive 28my not writing before as such.
29Do not however imagine I am painting 30old florentine scenery – no/ I may dream of 31such – but I spend my time in painting 32and drawing landscapes or rather studies of colour. 33The actualb inhabitants of this country often 34remind me of the figures we see in Zola’s 35work.
36And Manet would like them as they 37are and the city as it is.
38Bernard is still in Brittany and I believe 39he is working hard and doing well. 40Gauguin is in Brittany too but has again 41suffered of an attack of his liver complaint. 42I wished I were in the same place with him 43or he here with me.
44My brother has an exhibition of 10 new 45pictures by Claude Monet, his 46latest works. for instance a landscape 47with red sun set and a group of dark 48firtrees by the seaside_
49The red sun casts an orange or blood red reflection 50on the blue green trees and the ground.4 51I wished I could see them.
52How is your house in Brittany getting 53on5 – and have you been working 54in the country.
55I believe my brother has also another 56picture by Gauguin which is as I heard say 57very fine/ two negro women 58talking. it is one of those he did at 59Martinique.6
60Mc Knight told me he had seen 61at Marseilles a picture by Monticelli/ 62flowerpiece_
63Very soon I intend sending over some studies 64to Paris and then you can, if you like, 65choose one for our exchange.
66I must hurry off this letter 67for I feel some more abstractions 68coming on and if I did not 69quickly fill up my paper I 70would again set to drawing and 71you would not have your letter.–
72I heard Rodin had a beautiful 73head at the Salon.7
74I have been to the seaside for a 75week and very likely am going thither 76again soon.– Flat shore/ 77sands – fine figures there 78like Cimabue – straight/ stylish_