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5 things you need to know about

Van Gogh's Letters

Van Gogh's Letters
1

Van Gogh wrote more than 2,000 letters

Vincent van Gogh was a passionate letter writer. He had a strong need to share his ideas and
feelings. After Vincent, his brothers and his sisters had all left home, they often wrote to each
other and to their parents.

Many of Vincent’s letters have survived, and even some of the replies. The total correspondence
features 902 letters: 819 by Van Gogh and 83 to him. By far the most letters are to his brother
Theo, his best friend and loyal supporter. Theo kept Vincent’s letters with great care. Vincent
was less careful – he threw lots of letters away, or burned them.

Van Gogh actually wrote a lot more letters, he probably wrote more than 2,000 in total. We can
make this estimation thanks to comments in the letters such as ‘I wrote to … today’, and ‘I just
received a letter from…’.
Theo van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
2

Van Gogh wrote many letters in French

Vincent was a Dutch artist, but he wrote about a third of his letters in French. At the time, that
was the most important international language. Children of the middle classes were expected to
learn French. Van Gogh could speak French from an early age.

Yet it was only after he moved to Paris, in 1886, that he completely switched to writing in
French. Also to his brother Theo and his sister Willemien: ‘If you’ll let me write to you in
French’, he writes to Willemien, ‘that will really make my letter easier for me’.

Vincent came to see France as his second home. He wanted to make a name for himself as an
artist there. Vincent usually ended his letters to his brother with ‘tout à toi, Vincent’ (ever yours,
Vincent). He signed his paintings with ‘Vincent’, because French people had difficulty
pronouncing ‘Van Gogh’.
3

Van Gogh added drawings to his letters

Van Gogh’s letters are also special because of the sketches he added to them. He called them
‘scratches’. They were meant to give Theo or an artist friend an idea of what he was working on,
or of what a drawing or painting looked like. Nowadays, we’d send a photo by WhatsApp or
email.

The letters contain more than 240 sketches. They are often quick sketches made in pen, but
sometimes more detailed, colour drawings. Vincent often wrote the colours on his black-and-
white sketches, to give an idea of the colour of the painting. Like with Field with Irises near
Arles: he wrote the colours ‘blue’, ‘grey-green’, ‘yellow’ and ‘purple’ on the sketch.

 Read the full letter and view the sketches

Vincent van Gogh, Field with Irises near Arles, 1888

Letter to Theo with a sketch on which Vincent wrote the names of the colours that he used.
Detail from the sketch in the letter.
4

Van Gogh sent his paintings by post

In addition to letters, Vincent also sent drawings and paintings to Theo. The brothers had agreed
that in exchange for providing Vincent with a monthly allowance, Theo would receive all of his
artworks. And that Theo would then try to sell them. Vincent sometimes packed the paintings in
a box, but he often just sent them rolled up.

Vincent himself also received all sorts by post. Good painting materials weren’t available in
Arles, so Theo sent Vincent’s orders of canvas, brushes and paint tubes from Paris. ‘I must warn
you that very shortly I’ll need a big order for colours for the autumn, which I believe is going to
be absolutely marvellous’, he wrote in September 1888. In April of that year, he had already
ordered more than 100 paint tubes from his brother!
Letter to Theo, 5 april 1888, with the paint tube order.
5

Van Gogh sometimes shared secrets

Vincent and Theo trusted each other deeply, they even wrote to each other about intimate
matters. That was uncommon as in the 19th century, most people avoided writing about anything
too personal.

In September 1884, Vincent shared something that needed to stay a secret. ‘Something has
happened, Theo, which most of the people here know or suspect nothing about — nor may ever
know, so keep as silent as the grave about it — but which is terrible. Miss Begemann has taken
poison’.

Margot Begemann was Vincent’s 12-year-older neighbour. Vincent was planning to marry her.
Margot attempted suicide by taking poison. She was desperate, because her family disapproved
of her relationship with Vincent. ‘I was suddenly suspicious and said — have you taken
something by any chance? She screamed “Yes!”’.

Vincent described what happened next in detail to his brother. It had a huge impact on him, and
he had to get it off his chest. Margot thankfully survived, but it did mean the end of their
relationship: she moved to live with a doctor she knew in Utrecht, and Vincent eventually moved
to Antwerp.

 Read the full letter

Margot Begemann
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The Best Letters and Quotes 

Delve into Van Gogh's finest letters and share your favourite quotes.
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Discover our books

A Life in Letters 
Vincent van Gogh’s letters are some of the most valuable documents in the world of art. Not
only do they throw light on Van Gogh’s own complex and intriguing character, they enlighten
the whole creative process as seen through his eyes.