Letter 1, page 1
Vincent van Gogh, letter to Émile Bernard, Paris, ca. December 1887, Letter 1, page 1
Thaw Collection, given in honor of Charles E. Pierce, Jr., 2007
54 rue Lepic.
My dear old Bernard,
I feel the need to beg your pardon for leaving you so abruptly the other day. Which I therefore do
herewith, without delay. I recommend that you read Tolstoy's Les Légendes Russes, and I'll also let
you have the article on E. Delacroix that I've spoken to you about.
I, for my part, did go to Guillaumin's anyway, but in the evening, and I thought that perhaps
you didn't know his address, which is 13 quai d'Anjou. I believe that, as a man, Guillaumin has
sounder ideas than the others, and that if we were all like him we'd produce more good things and
would have less time and inclination to be at each other's throats.
I persist in believing that—not because I gave you a rocket but because it will become your
own conviction—I persist in believing that you'll realize that in the studios not only does one not
learn very much as far as painting goes, but not much that's good in terms of savoir vivre, either.
© 2007 Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
Letter 1, page 2
Vincent van Gogh, letter to Émile Bernard,Paris, ca. December 1887, Letter 1, page 2
Thaw Collection, given in honor of Charles E. Pierce, Jr., 2007
And that one finds oneself obliged to learn to live, as one does to paint, without resorting to the old
tricks and trompe l'oeil of schemers.
I don't think your portrait of yourself will be your last, or your best—although all in all it is
frightfully you.
Look here—briefly, what I was trying to explain to you the other day comes down to this.
In order to avoid generalities, let me take an example from life.
If you've fallen out with a painter, with Signac, for example, and if as a result you say:
I'll withdraw my canvases if Signac exhibits where I exhibit—and if you run him down, then it
seems to me that you are not behaving as well as you could.
Because it's better to take a long look at it before judging so categorically and to reflect,
reflection making us see in ourselves, when there's a falling out, as many faults on our own side
as in our adversary, and in him as many justifications as we might
© 2007 Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
Letter 1, page 3
Vincent van Gogh, letter to Émile Bernard,Paris, ca. December 1887, Letter 1, page 3
Thaw Collection, given in honor of Charles E. Pierce, Jr., 2007
desire for ourselves.
If, therefore, you have already considered that Signac and the others who are doing pointillism
often make very beautiful things with it—
Instead of running those things down, one should respect them and speak of them sympathetically,
especially when there's a falling out.
Otherwise one becomes a narrow sectarian oneself and the equivalent of those who think
nothing of others and believe themselves to be the only righteous ones.
This extends even to the academicians, because take, for example, a painting by Fantin-Latour
—and above all his entire oeuvre. Well then—there's someone who hasn't rebelled, and does that
prevent him, that indefinable calm and righteousness that he has, being one of the most independent
characters in existence?
I also wanted to say a word to you about the military service that you will be required to do.
You must absolutely see to that now.
Directly, in order to inform yourself properly about what one can do in such an event; first to
retain the right to work, to be able to choose a garrison, etc. But indirectly, by taking care of your
health. You mustn't arrive there
© 2007 Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
Letter 1, page 4
Vincent van Gogh, letter to Émile Bernard,Paris, ca. December 1887, Letter 1, page 4
Thaw Collection, given in honor of Charles E. Pierce, Jr., 2007
too anemic or too agitated if you want to emerge from it stronger.
I do not see it as a very great misfortune for you that you have to join the army but as a very
grave ordeal, from which, if you emerge from it, you'll emerge a very great artist. Until then, do all
you can to build yourself up, because you'll need quite a bit of spirit. If you work hard that year, I
believe that you may well succeed in having a fair stock of canvases, some of which we'll try to sell
for you, knowing that you'll need pocket money to pay for models.
I 'll gladly do all I can to make a success of what was started in the dining room, but I believe
that the first condition for success is to put aside petty jealousies; it's only unity that makes
strength. It's well worth sacrificing selfishness, the "each man for himself," in the common interest.
I shake your hand firmly.
Vincent
© 2007 Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam