[Saint Remy, early December 1889 r.]
[…] When Gauguin, as you know, he was in Arles, several times I allowed myself a certain abstraction of v The Lullaby, w Reading a novel, black on the background of the yellow library; at that time this abstraction seemed to me a very attractive path, but you see, my dear, it's an enchanted field, you find yourself facing an impenetrable wall very quickly.
I do not deny it, after a lifetime of male struggles, they were looking for, taking on barriers to nature could be tried, but I don't want to break my head with these things. I played with nature all year long, without thinking much or about impressionism, nor about anything else. Yet, once again, I allowed myself to catch too big stars — and failed again; I'm sick of it. So now I work in olive groves, looking for the various effects of gray skies against yellow soil, with a blackish-green accent of leaves. Sometimes again soil and purple leaves against a yellow sky, then the red earth again, and the sky is pink- green. Oh well, I am interested in this much more than all the above-mentioned abstractions.
If I haven't written for a long time, This is because, that if I have to fight the disease and calm my head, I don't feel like having any discussions; besides, I saw a danger in all these abstractions. In the course of quiet work, beautiful topics impose themselves. First of all, it is about immersing yourself in reality thoroughly. Without a plan in advance, without Parisian concepts. Anyway, I am very displeased with this year, but perhaps it will be a strong foundation for the next one. I let myself be penetrated through by the breezes coming from all those hills and orchards; what's next - I'll see. My painting ambitions are limited to a few furrows of the role, sprouting grain, the olive orchard, cypress; this one is not easy to do. Ty, you like primitives so much, you study them, why, say - it seems - you don't know Giotto. We recently saw a tiny picture of Giotto with Gauguin in Montpellier - the death of some holy woman. The feelings of delight and suffering are expressed so humanly there, that no matter how it got stuck in the nineteenth century, it seems to man, that he is there, The tale must be divided by emotion. […]
Here is a description of the canvas, which I have in front of me right now. View of the park at the sanatorium, in which I am staying: on the right a gray terrace, piece of home, a few faded rose bushes, on the left the park area - red agrimony, sun scorched soil, covered with fallen pine needles. The edge of the park is planted with large pine trees - trunks and branches made of red ocher, the green of the leaves was sad with the admixture of black. These tall trees stand out from the evening sky, shimmering on a yellow background with violet; that yellow goes up to pink, in green. Wall, red ocher again, the view closes - above it there is only a hill made of purple and yellow ocher. Well, the first tree is there. it is a huge trunk struck by lightning and filed down. Its side branch rises very high up and descends in an avalanche of dark green needles. This dark giant, like a battered pride, is in contrast, if we treat him as a living creature, with the pale smile of the last rose, decaying on the bush in front of him. Empty stone benches under the trees, dark boxwood, the sky reflecting in the puddle after the rain. Sunbeam, the last flash, lights up until orange, dark ugrem. Black figures wander here and there among tree trunks.
Understand, that it is a combination of red ocher, sad, the muted green and black lines surrounding the outline give the impression of anguish, which often seizes some of my companions in distress - the impression known as "black and red."”. And, moreover, the theme of a big tree hit by lightning, the morbid pink-green smile of the last autumn flower, emphasizes this thought.
Another canvas shows the sun rising over the undergrowth of young grain15; lines run into the distance, the beds go high up the canvas to the wall and a row of lilac mounds. The field is purple and green-yellow. A white sun surrounded by a large yellow halo. Here, unlike that canvas, I wanted to express my consolation, great peace.
I am telling you about these two canvases, especially about the first, to remind you, that you can get the impression of torment, without trying to go straight to the historic garden of Gethsemanij and at this, to express a topic that is gentle and uplifting, it is not necessary to show the characters from the Sermon on the Mount.
So. Being moved by the Bible is probably wise and right. But contemporary reality has such an impact on us, that even when we try to detach the old times in our minds, the minor events of everyday life distract us from these contemplations, and our own adventures throw us around, which is inevitable, into the circle of our personal experiences, joy, sorrows, suffering, anger and smile.
The Bible! The Bible! Millet, from early childhood, he was introduced to her, he read nothing but this book. Yet he never or almost never painted biblical themes. Corot made the Gethsemane with Christ and the evening star, truly inspired. One can feel Homer in his work, Aeschylosa, Sophocles, not only the Gospel. But how discreet it is and gives an advantage to contemporary impressions, common, available to all of us. But, but - you will say - and Delacroix? So!
Delacroix - but then you would have to study completely different - yes, you'd have to study the history, before you put things just like that. And so, my dear, biblical images include> failure. […]
No matter how disgusting and disgusting painting was in our times, the one who chose this profession, if he does it persistently, he is a man of duty, faithful and reliable. Society often poisons our lives, and hence also. the powerlessness and imperfection of our works result. I suppose, that Gauguin suffers a lot from it and cannot develop like this, as if his inner capabilities permitted it. I am complaining about the complete lack of models. But there are beautiful views here »I have completed five canvases in the dimension“ 50″: olive trees.
If I'm still here, it's because my health is improving a lot. To, What am I doing, it's hard, seek, and that's because I'm trying to temper myself again in quite a lot of hard work and would be afraid, so that I would not be weakened by disconnected topics.
Have you seen my study with the little reaper, the yellow field of grain and the yellow sun?17 That's not it yet, however, I touched on this hellish problem of yellow. I am talking about a grossly impaste study made from nature, and not about its repetition in the dash, the effect of which is weaker. I wanted to make it completely in sulfur yellow. I would have many more things to tell you, and if I am writing today, it's because I have a much calmer head; previously I was afraid of excitement, until I am cured. I shake your hand warmly, and also Anquetin and others, if you see them, and believe, that I am sincerely devoted to you, yours
Vincent