Letter 618 Saint-Rémy, 7 December 1889
My dear Theo,
Yesterday I sent off by post three packages, containing studies which I hope will reach you safely. I have to thank you for 10 meters of canvas which have just arrived.
Among the studies you will find the following which are for Mother and our sister: “Olives� “Bedroom� “Reaper�
“Ploughing� “Wheat Field with Cypresses� “Orchard in Blossom� “Portrait� The rest are mostly studies of autumn, and I think that the best is the yellow mulberry tree [F 637, JH 1796] against a bright blue sky �then the study of the house and the park, of which there are two variations. The studies, size 30 canvases, were not yet dry,
and will follow later. They are giving me a lot of trouble, and sometimes I think they are very ugly, sometimes they seem good to me; perhaps you will have the same impression when you see them. There are a dozen of them, so it is more considerable than what I have just sent.
I have gone on working outside till now in spite of the cold, and I think it is doing me good, and the work too.
The last study I did is a view of the village, where they were at work �under some enormous plane trees �repairing the pavements. So there are heaps of sand, stones and gigantic trunks �the leaves yellowing and here and there you get a glimpse of a house front and small figures [F 657, JH 1860].
I think of you and Jo very often, but feeling as though there were an enormous distance between here and Paris and it was years since I saw you. I hope you are well. For myself I have nothing to complain of, I am feeling absolutely normal, so to speak, but without an idea for the future, and really I do not know what is going to happen, and perhaps I rather avoid facing this question, feeling that I can do nothing about it.
I have also finished the copy of the “Diggers�or nearly so [F 648, JH 1833].
You will see that there are no more impastos in the big studies. I prepare the thing with a sort of wash of essence,
and then proceed with strokes or hatchings in colour with spaces between them. That gives atmosphere and you use less paint.
If I want to send this letter off today, I must hurry, so a handshake in thought and kindest regards to Jo.
Ever yours,
Vincent