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647 John Peter Russell to Vincent van Gogh. Belle-Île-en-Mer, Sunday, 22 July 1888.

metadata
No. 647 (Brieven 1990 649, Complete Letters 501b)
From: John Peter Russell
To: Vincent van Gogh
Date: Belle-Île-en-Mer, Sunday, 22 July 1888

Source status
Original manuscript

Location
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, inv. no. b1322 V/1962

Date
Letter headed: ‘Jully 22’. It is clear from the subjects discussed that this was Sunday, 22 July 1888.

Additional
The letter, written in English, has not survived in its entirety; it ends in the middle of a sentence and there is no signature. In letter 650 to Theo, Vincent writes about things in the present letter; it emerges that in the missing section Russell must have invited Vincent to go to Belle-Île, and that he very much wanted to paint Vincent’s portrait again.

Ongoing topic
Request to Russell to buy a painting from Gauguin (582)

original text
 1r:1
Belle-Ile-en-Mer
Morbihan –

Jully 22

My dear Vincent,
Excuse not answering your letter of some week or two ago. I’ve been much worried by the changing to this island. packing up & other things.–1
It is most good of you to give Monsieur Gogouin a leg up. Not knowing the man I can’t say if he deserves it. I hope so for your sake.–  1r:2 I would like to help you. But how? There is but one legitimate way. i.e. By purchasing one of his works.– The very last day in Paris I tried to fetch Boussod; Veladon & Cie to see the picture you speak of, “niggers &c.”,2 but failed through want of time.– For others I saw, that big one of yours3 unfortunately swamps them in my opinion.– So I am in a fix.–  1v:3
Young Bernard writes me from Ste Briain.a
Complains much of the weather interfering with his work.
Before I left Paris I lunched with M. Rodin (who has finished a fine head of my wife)4 & M. Claude Monet. Saw ten of M. Monets pictures done at Antibes.5 Very fine in color & light & a certain richness of envelop. But like nearly all the so called impressionist work the form is not enough  1v:4 studied. The big mass of form I mean. The trees too much wood in Branches for the size of Trunk & so against fundamental law of nature. A lack of construction everywhere.–
He is undoubtedly a remarkable colorist. & full of courage in attacking difficult problems. We should all do the same.– ’Tis the only way to get strong. Luckily here in Belle-Île I am forced to try all things – figures, landscape, sea, cattle &c &c. otherwise would

translation
 1r:1
Belle-Ile-en-Mer
Morbihan —

July 22

My dear Vincent,
Excuse not answering your letter of some week or two ago. I’ve been much worried by the changing to this island. Packing up and other things.1
It is most good of you to give Monsieur Gauguin a leg up. Not knowing the man I can’t say if he deserves it. I hope so for your sake.  1r:2 I would like to help you. But how? There is but one legitimate way. i.e. By purchasing one of his works. The very last day in Paris I tried to fetch Boussod; Valadon & Cie to see the picture you speak of, ‘niggers &c.’,2 but failed through want of time. For others I saw, that big one of yours3 unfortunately swamps them in my opinion. So I am in a fix.  1v:3
Young Bernard writes me from Saint-Briac.
Complains much of the weather interfering with his work.
Before I left Paris I lunched with Mr Rodin (who has finished a fine head of my wife)4 and Mr Claude Monet. Saw ten of Mr Monet’s pictures done at Antibes.5 Very fine in color and light and a certain richness of envelop. But like nearly all the so-called Impressionist work the form is not enough  1v:4 studied. The big mass of form I mean. The trees too much wood in Branches for the size of Trunk and so against fundamental law of nature. A lack of construction everywhere.
He is undoubtedly a remarkable colorist. and full of courage in attacking difficult problems. We should all do the same. It is the only way to get strong. Luckily here in Belle-Île I am forced to try all things — figures, landscape, sea, cattle &c. &c. otherwise would
notes
1. See letter 623, n. 16, for Russell’s move to Belle-Île in Brittany.
2. See for Gauguin’s Negresses talking or Conversation (Tropics) : letter 627, n. 6.
3. See for Gauguin, Among the mangoes : letter 612, n. 1. Theo had bought the painting for 400 francs at the beginning of January 1888. See Gauguin lettres 1983, p. 33, and Wildenstein 2001, p. 337.
a. Read: ‘St Briac’.
4. For Rodin’s Bust of Mrs Russell , see letter 623, n. 17. Russell must be referring to the preliminary study in wax (Paris, Musée Rodin). Although he writes here that Rodin has finished it, it is clear from the correspondence between the two artists that the silver bust was not completed until 1889. It was shown at the Monet and Rodin exhibition in Georges Petit’s gallery that opened in mid-June 1889. Russell did not get it until after that, as we can see from a letter he wrote to Rodin at the beginning of 1890: ‘We are delighted with the bust of Mrs R’ (Nous sommes très contents du buste de Mme R.). See Claude-Guy Onfray, Russell ou la lumière en héritage. Paris 1995, pp. 157-159.
5. See letter 625, n. 5, for these paintings by Monet.