Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Vincent Van Gogh

Excerpt of a letter from Vincent Van Gogh, to his brother, Theo Van Gogh. Vincent’s family was concerned about his wish to live a life without material wealth.

Ah and I did have to type this out myself, do read it then.

I write somewhat at random whatever comes to my pen. I should be very glad if you could see in me something more than an idle fellow. Because there are two kinds of idleness, which are a great contrast to each other. There is the man who is idle from laziness and from lack of character, from the baseness of his nature.

If you like, you may take me for such a one.

On the other hand, there is the idle man who is idle in spite of himself, who is inwardly consumed by a great longing for action but does nothing, because it is impossible for him to do anything, because he seems to be imprisoned in some cage, because he does not possess what he needs to become productive because circumstances bring him inevitably to that point. Such a man does not always know what he could do, but he instinctively feels, I am good for something, my life has purpose after all, I know that I could be quite a different man! How can I be useful, of what service can I be? There is something inside of me, what can it be? This is quite a different kind of idle man; if you like, you may take me for such a man.

One cannot always tell what it is that keeps us shut in, contains us, seems to bury us; nevertheless, one feels certain borders, certain gates, certain walls. Is all this imagination, fantasy? I don’t think so. And so one asks, ‘My God! Is it forever, is it for all eternity?’

Do you know what frees one from this captivity? It is very deep, serious affection. Being friends, being brothers, love, that is what opens the person by some supreme power by some magic force –Without this, one remains in prison –Where sympathy is renewed, life is restored.

And the prison is also called prejudice of one thing or another, distrust, false shame.

2 comments:

Lisa said...

I love it. It just sounds right.

the.cog said...

I cannot believe I have not seen these archives till now.. did you have them on your old page (the constipated mind one) and if so, how did I miss them?

This one was excellent, really.