703

Br. 1990: 708 | CL: 552
From: Vincent van Gogh
To: Theo van Gogh
Date: Arles, Saturday, 13 October 1888
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1. See letter 583, n. 9, for Alphonse Daudet’s Tartarin de Tarascon (1872) and Tartarin sur les Alpes (1885). Van Gogh’s comment relates to the chapter titled ‘Les diligences déportées’ in Tartarin de Tarascon, in which the ‘old diligence’ speaks and complains about its hard life. See Daudet 1986-1994, vol. 1, pp. 531-533 (3rd episode, chapter 1).
2. The letter sketch The Tarascon diligence (F - / JH 1606) is after the painting of the same title, F 478a / JH 1605 [2733]. At that time the coaches for Tarascon left from the Auberge de la Poste (according to Le Forum Républicain of 28 October 1888 (front page)). This inn was at 7 rue Marché-Neuf (L’indicateur arlésien 1887, p. 26).
[2733]
3. We do not know which Monet painting of four boats Theo had in the gallery. It has been suggested in the past that this was Boats on the beach, Etretat, 1885 (The Art Institute of Chicago), but the composition of this work is not ‘of the same kind’ as the carriages in Van Gogh’s painting. It seems more likely to have been Fishing boats, 1885 (private collection). It is not known whether either of these paintings was ever at Boussod, Valadon & Cie. See Wildenstein 1996, cat. nos. 1024, 1028.
[941]
4. The letter sketch The public garden with a couple strolling (‘The poet’s garden’) (F - / JH 1602) is after the painting of the same title, F 479 / JH 1601 [2730].
[2730]
5. The letter sketch The Trinquetaille bridge (F - / JH 1607) is after the painting of the same title, F 481 / JH 1604 [2732]. This bridge connected the centre of Arles to the suburb of Trinquetaille on the other side of the Rhône.
[2732]
6. The letter sketch The viaduct (F - / JH 1607) after the painting of the same title, F 480 / JH 1603 [2731]. The ‘other bridge’ was the railway bridge that carried the Paris-Lyon-Méditerranée line over avenue de Montmajour, the street that led into place Lamartine.
[2731]
a. Read: ‘justement’.
7. Vincent had sent Theo a ‘copy’ of his letter to Gauguin on 10 October (see letter 701).
8. The first work of the week was Entrance to the public garden (F 566 / JH 1585 [2718]); see letter 701. The other four are the works referred to above (nn. 2 and 4-6).
[2718]
9. Sunflowers in a vase (F 456 / JH 1561 [2703]) and Sunflowers in a vase (F 454 / JH 1562 [2704]).
[2703] [2704]
10. On 8 October (see letter 699) Van Gogh had two paintings of the ‘poet’s garden’: The public garden (‘The poet’s garden’) (F 468 / JH 1578 [2713]) and a painting of the park that is now lost (cf. the drawing The public garden (‘The poet’s garden’) (F 1465 / JH 1583) and the letter sketch in letter 693 for the composition). After this he painted two more views of the park: Entrance to the public garden (F 566 / JH 1585 [2718]) and The public garden with a couple strolling (‘The poet’s garden’) (F 479 / JH 1601 [2730]). In the light of the description of the latter canvas in the present letter, that is to say as a garden with lovers, this must have been the third ‘poet’s garden’. In letter 709 he says he is working on a fourth one. See exhib. cat. New York 1984, pp. 183-184 and Dorn 1990, pp. 270 (n. 216), 394-395.
[2713] [2718] [2730]
11. Path in the public garden (F 470 / JH 1582 [2716]) and Entrance to the public garden (F 566 / JH 1585 [2718]).
[2716] [2718]
12. The night café (F 463 / JH 1575 [2711]).
[2711]
13. The Trinquetaille bridge (F 481 / JH 1604 [2732]).
[2732]
14. The viaduct (F 480 /JH 1603 [2731]).
[2731]
15. The Yellow House (‘The street’) (F 464 / JH 1589 [2721]).
[2721]
16. The Tarascon diligence (F 478a / JH 1605 [2733]).
[2733]
17. Starry night over the Rhône (F 474 / JH 1592 [2723]).
[2723]
18. Ploughed fields (‘The furrows’) (F 574 / JH 1586 [2719]).
[2719]
19. The green vineyard (F 475 / JH 1595 [2726]).
[2726]