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786 Jo van Gogh-Bonger to Vincent van Gogh. Paris, Friday, 5 July 1889.

metadata
No. 786 (Brieven 1990 789, Complete Letters T11)
From: Jo van Gogh-Bonger
To: Vincent van Gogh
Date: Paris, Friday, 5 July 1889

Source status
Original manuscript

Location
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, inv. nos. b738 a-b V/1962

Date
Letter headed: ‘Paris le 5 Juillet.’

original text
 1r:1
Paris le 5 Juillet.

Mon cher frère,
Cette fois çi je tâcherai de vous écrire en Français, d’abord je sais que vous l’aimez plus et puis en s’exprimant tous deux dans la meme langue on finira par mieux s’entendre je crois. Seulement moi je n’ai pas du tout l’habitude d’écrire en Français et je crains que je ne ferai des fautes qui vous sembleront bien ridicule – mais je vais faire de mon mieux. J’espère bien dans quelque temps pouvoir mieux m’exprimer – si maintenant les étrangers que je rencontre ne parlent pas l’Anglais la conversation n’est pas du tout animée je vous assure.
Je vais commencer par vous raconter une grande nouvelle qui nous  1v:2 a beaucoup occupé ce dernier temps – c’est que cet hiver, vers février probablement, nous espérons avoir un bébé, un joli petit garçon – que nous appellerons Vincent si vous voulez bien être son parrain.1 Je sais bien que nous devons pas trop y compter et que cela peut aussi bien être une petite fille mais Theo et moi nous le nous figurons toujours comme un garçon. Quand nous avons ecrit à Amsterdam et à Breda2 tout le monde a répondu “n’êtes vous pas contente, quel bonheur”, etc. etc. – et pourtant pour dire la vérité, quand je l’ai su je n’étais pas du tout contente, au contraire j’étais très malheureuse et Theo a eu bien de la  1v:3 peine à me consoler. Ce n’est pas que je n’aime pas les bébés – mon petit frère qui a maintenant douze ans3 – je l’ai eu dans mes bras quand il avait à peine deux heures, je l’ai adoré et je trouve qu’il n’y a rien de plus joli au monde qu’un petit enfant – mais cela est un plaisir un peu egoïste. Quand je pense que ni Theo ni moi nous ne sommes en très bonne santé, j’ai grand peur que nous ne ferons un enfant faible et pour moi le plus grand trésor que les parents peuvent donner à leur enfant c’est une bonne constitution. Mais le medecin m’a beaucoup rassuré là-dessus et puis une bonne nourriture et de bons soins peuvent faire beaucoup – et ceux là ne lui  1r:4 manqueront pas. Vous rappelez-vous le portrait du bébé Roulin que vous avez envoyé à Théo?4 Tout le monde l’admire beaucoup et bien des fois déjà on a demandé “mais pourquoi avez vous mis ce portrait dans ce coin perdu?” C’est que de ma place à table je vois justement les grands yeux bleus, les jolis petits mains et les joues rondes de l’enfant et j’aime à me figurer que le nôtre sera aussi fort, aussi bien portant et aussi beau que celui là – et que son oncle voudra bien un jour faire son portrait!
Dans une de vos dernières lettres vous avez demandé à Theo s’il dinait encore au restaurant?5 Mais non – jamais – à quoi bon être marié si on ne pouvait pas encore diner chez soi.– Il vient toujours  2r:5 dejeuner à midi et rentre à sept heures et demie pour diner. Souvent le soir il vient quelqu’un. Isaacson ou Nibbrig – Mr Tersteeg a diné chez nous deux fois, de Haan aussi est venu nous voir6 – et quand il était là Mr Pissarro et son fils7 sont venus aussi. Generalement nous sommes très fatigués le soir et nous nous couchons de bonne heure – pourtant je trouve que Theo n’a pas du tout bonne mine8 mais il a eu beaucoup de fatigue par cette vente Secretan9 et puis la chaleur est tellement accablante! Ne me parlez pas de Paris dans ce temps çi et Theo dit que dans le mois d’Aout c’est encore pire!
J’ai lu avec grand plaisir ce que vous avez ecrit à Theo  2v:6 sur la lecture de Shakespeare.10 N’est ce pas que c’est beau – et si peu de gens le connaissent, “C’est trop difficile” on dit – mais ce n’est pas vrai – pour moi je le comprends beaucoup mieux que Zola. Mais quand je pense qu’il y a presque 300 ans qu’on a ecrit des choses tellement beau je trouve que le monde n’a pas beaucoup avancé dans ce temps. Quand j’étais à Londres j’ai vu une fois au theatre The Merchant of Venice11 – et alors l’effet que cela produisait etait encore bien plus grande qu’en le lisant seulement.– J’ai aussi vu Hamlet et Macbeth mais en Hollandais.12 alors cela perd beaucoup. Maintenant je vais vous dire bonjour.– Si vous le voulez bien, ecrivez nous votre opinion sur notre petit garçon car un garçon cela doit être.–

Votre Soeur
Jo

translation
 1r:1
Paris 5 July.

My dear brother,
This time I’ll try to write to you in French, first I know that you like it more, and then with both of us expressing ourselves in the same language we’ll eventually understand each other better, I believe. Only I’m not at all accustomed to writing in French, and I fear I may make mistakes which will seem very ridiculous to you – but I’m going to do my best. I very much hope that in a while I’ll be able to express myself better – if now the foreigners I meet don’t speak English, the conversation isn’t at all animated, I can assure you.
I’m going to begin by telling you a great piece of news which  1v:2 has greatly occupied us lately – it is that this winter, around February probably, we’re hoping to have a baby, a pretty little boy – whom we’ll call Vincent if you’ll consent to be his godfather.1 I’m well aware that we ought not to count on it too much, and that it could also be a little girl, but Theo and I always imagine it as a boy. When we wrote to Amsterdam and Breda2 everyone replied ‘aren’t you pleased, what joy’, etc. etc. – and yet to tell the truth, when I found out I wasn’t at all pleased, on the contrary I was very unhappy, and Theo had a great deal of  1v:3 difficulty consoling me. It isn’t that I don’t like babies – my little brother who is now twelve,3 I had him in my arms when he was scarcely two hours old, I adored him and I think there’s nothing prettier in the world than a little child – but that’s a slightly selfish pleasure. When I think that neither Theo nor I are in very good health, I’m very afraid that we may make a weak child, and for me the greatest treasure that parents can give their child is a good constitution. But the doctor reassured me greatly on that score, and then good food and good care can do a great deal – and it won’t  1r:4 lack for those. Do you remember the portrait of the Roulin baby you sent Theo?4 Everyone admires it greatly, and many times now people have asked ‘but why have you put this portrait in this out-of-the-way corner?’ It’s because – from my place at table I can just see the child’s big blue eyes, its pretty little hands and round cheeks, and I like to imagine that ours will be as strong, as healthy and as beautiful as that one – and because his uncle will consent to do his portrait one day!
In one of your recent letters you asked Theo if he was still dining at the restaurant?5 Not at all – never – what’s the good of being married if one couldn’t even dine at home? He always comes  2r:5 for lunch at midday and comes home at seven-thirty for dinner. Often in the evening someone comes. Isaäcson or NibbrigMr Tersteeg has dined with us twice, De Haan has also come to see us6 – and when he was there Mr Pissarro and his son7 came too. Generally we’re very tired in the evening and we go to bed early – however I find that Theo is looking not at all well,8 but he has been caused a great deal of fatigue by that Secrétan sale,9 and then the heat is so unbearable! Don’t talk to me about Paris in this weather, and Theo says that it’s even worse in August!
I read with great pleasure what you wrote to Theo about reading  2v:6 Shakespeare.10 Isn’t it beautiful – and so few people know it, ‘It’s too difficult,’ people say – but that isn’t true – as for me I understand it much better than Zola. But when I think that it’s almost 300 years since these so beautiful things were written I think that the world hasn’t progressed much in these times. When I was in London I once saw The merchant of Venice at the theatre11 – and then the effect that it produced was considerably greater than by only reading it. I’ve also seen Hamlet and Macbeth, but in Dutch.12 Then it loses a good deal. Now I’m going to bid you good-day. If you would like, write and tell us your opinion about our little boy, for a boy it must be.

Your sister
Jo
notes
1. On 31 January 1890 Jo gave birth to a boy, who was named after his godfather: Vincent Willem. On 27 June 1889, Jo van Gogh-Bonger wrote to her family in Amsterdam: ‘we have already talked about what we should call our little boy. Theo would like “Vincent” but I don’t attach much importance to names’ (FR b4290).
2. Jo’s parents lived in Amsterdam; Mrs van Gogh and Willemien lived in Breda.
3. Jo’s youngest brother, Willem (Wim) Adriaan Bonger.
4. Marcelle Roulin (F 441 / JH 1641 ); this canvas was included in the third consignment of paintings from Arles (see letter 767).
5. Van Gogh asked this in letter 782.
6. On 27 June 1889, Jo wrote to her family that De Haan had come from Pont-Aven to attend a family reunion in Saint-Cloud (FR b4290). De Haan himself later wrote that he had come for ‘the Paris exhibition’ (FR b1042).
Jo’s new role as hostess was not always easy for her. In fact, Jo’s sister Mien wrote: ‘Weren’t you scared when Tersteegh ate at your place? If I were you, I’d always take too much in future, if someone is coming to eat, it can’t do any harm, after all. Don’t you ever have a joint of beef, like you had at Annie’s?’ (FR b2909, 12 June 1889).
7. Lucien Pissarro.
8. On 11 July, Jo wrote to her sister Mien: ‘Theo has not been well all along – he coughs and looks thin and pale, I don’t know what it is – he eats like a horse ... He says he would like to have a week’s holiday and go outdoors! If only that were true’ (FR b4291).
9. Regarding the Secrétan sale, see letter 785, n. 8.
10. Van Gogh had written about Shakespeare in letter 784.
11. On 17 July 1883 Jo wrote in her diary about her ‘delight at seeing the Merchant of Venice acted. How great, how immense a genius must Shakespeare have possessed, that still now after almost three centuries his work delights and attracts alike all nations. How well I remember the time, when I said that I could not understand how people always rave about Shakespeare. Now I have understood it and feel proud of it for it shows me that at least I have made some progress. The scene which struck me most was: Portia in the habit of a young barrister, her hands lifted up to heaven, exclaiming in her sweet tender voice
The quality of mercy is not strained
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath.....
The scenery was splendid and I do not think it will be easy to efface from my memory that sight of Venice with its palaces and terraces and gondolas and masques and splendour and luxury. I am very glad I saw it’ (FR b4550. Cf. also FR b1769).
The quotation is from act 4, scene 2. See The merchant of Venice. Ed. John Russell Brown. 7th ed. London 1959, p. 111. The production Jo saw took place in London’s Lyceum Theatre and was directed by Henry Irving. Ellen Terry played the role of Portia. The programme is to be found in the estate (FR b3682). Cf. also Alan Hughes, Henry Irving, Shakespearean. Cambridge 1981.
12. The Dutch performances that Jo probably saw were produced by the Koninklijke Vereeniging het Nederlandsch toneel. On 21 January 1882 this company performed Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the Grand Théâtre in Amsterdam (and the next day in the Royal Theatre of The Hague). Macbeth was performed on 15 and 17 September 1887 in the Amsterdam Municipal Theatre (and on the 18th in The Hague). See Amsterdam, Archives Theaterinstituut, and cf. Robert Leek, Shakespeare in Nederland. Kroniek van vier eeuwen Shakespeare in Nederlandse vertalingen en op het Nederlands toneel. Zutphen 1988.