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646 Paul Gauguin to Vincent van Gogh. Pont-Aven, on or about Sunday, 22 July 1888.

metadata
No. 646 (Brieven 1990 654, Complete Letters GAC 30)
From: Paul Gauguin
To: Vincent van Gogh
Date: Pont-Aven, on or about Sunday, 22 July 1888

Source status
Original manuscript

Location
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, inv. no. b844 V/1962

Date
Since Vincent sent the present letter on to Theo on Tuesday, 24 or Wednesday, 25 July (see letter 648), and we can assume that he forwarded it fairly soon after he got it, Gauguin must have written to him a few days earlier. We have therefore dated the letter on or about Sunday, 22 July 1888. Cf. also Correspondance Gauguin1984, p. 490 (n. 3).

Ongoing topics
Gauguin coming to Arles (602)
Request to Russell to buy a painting from Gauguin (582)
Gauguin’s illness (581)

Sketch

  1. The young wrestlers, letter sketch

original text
 1r:1
Mon cher Vincent
Je viens de lire votre lettre interessante et je suis tout à fait d’accord avec vous sur le peu d’importance que l’exactitude apporte en art.–
L’art est une abstraction, malheureusement on devient de plus en plus incompris.– Je voudrais bien que nous arrivions à nos fins, c’est à dire à mon voyage en Provence. J’ai eu toujours la toquade d’interpréter les courses de taureaux à ma façon, telles que je les comprends. Je commence à reprendre la liberté dans mes facultés: ma maladie m’avait affaibli et dans mes dernieres études j’ai, je crois, depassé ce que j’ai fait jusqu’à present. Naturellement cette bande de mufles qui sont ici me trouvent tout à fait fou et j’en suis satisfait car celà me prouve que je ne le suis pas.– Je viens de terminer une  1v:2 lutte bretonne que vous aimerez j’en suis sûr.

[sketch A]
Deux gamins, caleçon bleu et caleçon vermillon. Un dans le haut à droite qui monte, sortant de l’eau.–
Pelouse verte – veronèze pur dégradant jusqu’au jaune de chrôme sans exécution, comme les crépons japonais.
En haut cascade d’eau bouillonante  1v:3 blanc rose et arc en ciel sur le bord près du cadre.
En bas tache blanche, un chapeau noir et blouse bleue.1

à propos de Russel, Granchi2 m’a dit l’avoir vu il y a 2 mois à Paris et que Russel avait une grande admiration pour moi et qu’il devait aller à Belle Isle.–3 Je ne comprends pas très bien qu’un homme riche n’achète pas ce qu’il admire.– Enfin espérons.–
Quel est donc ce Thomas dont vous parlez, est-ce Thomas de Bojano.– À moins que ce ne soit le marchand qui demeurait près de la place Vendôme.–4
Mon ami Laval est revenu de la Martinique; il a rapporté quelques aquarelles très-curieuses.5 Je vous en ferai voir que vous aimerez, c’est de l’art. Je parle comme si nous étions dejà ensemble.– Il faut vous dire qu’une fois que j’ai  1r:4 pris une résolution j’ai toujours hâte de la mettre à exécution.
Si ce n’était ce sale argent mes malles seraient bientôt faites. Je ne sais pourquoi mais depuis une dizaine de jours j’ai en tête beaucoup de folies peintes que je compte executer dans le midi: celà tient je crois à mon état de santé qui est redevenu florissant. J’ai comme un besoin de lutte; de tailler à coups de massue – après toutes les recherches que je viens de faire ici je crois pouvoir aller facilement de l’avant.
En attendant que nous soyons reunis, affectueusement la main.

Paul Gauguin

translation
 1r:1
My dear Vincent
I’ve just read your interesting letter and I entirely agree with you on the slight importance that accuracy contributes to art.
Art is an abstraction; unfortunately we’re becoming increasingly misunderstood. I would very much like it if we were to achieve our aims, that is, my coming to Provence. I’ve always had an itch to interpret bullfights in my own way, as I understand them. I’m beginning to recover the full use of my faculties: my illness had weakened me, and in my most recent studies I have, I think, gone beyond what I’ve been doing up to now. Of course, the collection of boors around here think I’m completely mad and I’m happy about that, because it proves to me that I’m not. I’ve just finished a  1v:2 Breton wrestling that I’m sure you’ll like.

[sketch A]

Two kids, one pair of blue trunks and one pair of vermilion. One at top right, coming up out of the water.
A green lawn – pure Veronese shading off into chrome yellow with no execution, like Japanese prints.
At the top a cascade of foaming water,  1v:3 white pink, and a rainbow on the edge near the frame.
At the bottom a white patch, a black hat and blue smock.1

Talking of Russell, Granchi2 told me he’d seen him 2 months ago in Paris, and that Russell had great admiration for me and that he was to go to Belle-Île.3 I don’t quite understand why a rich man doesn’t buy what he admires. Anyway, let’s hope.
So who is this Thomas you speak of, is it Thomas de Bojano? Unless it’s the dealer who used to be near place Vendôme.4
My friend Laval is back from Martinique; he brought some very curious watercolours.5 I’ll have you look at some that you’ll like, they’re art. I’m talking as if we were already together. I have to tell you that once I’ve  1r:4 taken a decision I’m always in haste to carry it out.
If it weren’t for this damned money, my bags would soon be packed. I don’t know why, but for the past ten days or so I have lots of painted follies in my head which I plan to execute in the south: I think it has to do with my state of health, which is blooming again. It’s as if I have a need to struggle, to hack away with crushing blows — after all the research I’ve done here I think I can easily forge ahead.
Until we’re together, an affectionate handshake.

Paul Gauguin
notes
1. The young wrestlers, 1888 (W298/W273) (private collection). Ill. 105 . A letter from Gauguin to Schuffenecker of 8 July 1888 also contains a sketch and description of this painting. See Correspondance Gauguin 1984, pp. 197-198.
2. Gauguin had got to know Achille Granchi-Taylor in Paris in 1885. Both artists were in Pont-Aven in 1886 and 1888. Granchi-Taylor had worked at Cormon’s studio; this is probably how he knew Russell. See Correspondance Gauguin 1984, p. 490 and Gauguin lettres 1983, p. 217 (n. 1).
3. See letter 623, n. 16, for Russell’s move to Belle-Île.
4. Van Gogh must have written to Gauguin about the art dealer Georges Thomas; see letter 617, n. 8, and letter 640, n. 16. Louis Nicolas André Thomas, Duke of Bojano, was the managing director of the Compagnie du Soleil insurance company and a collector. His collection of 118 works was sold at auction in 1882. By the dealer near Place Vendôme, Gauguin probably meant the paint supplier and art dealer Jean Joseph Thomas, who had a shop at 235 rue Saint-Honoré until 1887. See Correspondance Gauguin 1984, p. 482 and exhib. cat. Paris 1988, p. 347 (n. 124).
5. See letter 623, n. 3, for Gauguin and Laval’s stay on Martinique. The watercolours Laval brought back with him from Martinique are not known.