1.
Amsterdam
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Amsterdam is the capital and most populous municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its status as the capital is mandated by the Constitution of the Netherlands, although it is not the seat of the government, which is The Hague. Amsterdam has a population of 851,373 within the city proper,1,351,587 in the urban area, the city is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. The metropolitan area comprises much of the part of the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe. Amsterdams name derives from Amstelredamme, indicative of the citys origin around a dam in the river Amstel, during that time, the city was the leading centre for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries the city expanded, and many new neighborhoods and suburbs were planned, the 17th-century canals of Amsterdam and the 19–20th century Defence Line of Amsterdam are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. As the commercial capital of the Netherlands and one of the top financial centres in Europe, Amsterdam is considered a world city by the Globalization. The city is also the capital of the Netherlands. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there, and seven of the worlds 500 largest companies, including Philips and ING, are based in the city. In 2012, Amsterdam was ranked the second best city to live in by the Economist Intelligence Unit and 12th globally on quality of living for environment, the city was ranked 3rd in innovation by Australian innovation agency 2thinknow in their Innovation Cities Index 2009. The Amsterdam seaport to this day remains the second in the country, famous Amsterdam residents include the diarist Anne Frank, artists Rembrandt van Rijn and Vincent van Gogh, and philosopher Baruch Spinoza. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the oldest stock exchange in the world, is located in the city center. After the floods of 1170 and 1173, locals near the river Amstel built a bridge over the river, the earliest recorded use of that name is in a document dated October 27,1275, which exempted inhabitants of the village from paying bridge tolls to Count Floris V. This allowed the inhabitants of the village of Aemstelredamme to travel freely through the County of Holland, paying no tolls at bridges, locks, the certificate describes the inhabitants as homines manentes apud Amestelledamme. By 1327, the name had developed into Aemsterdam, Amsterdam is much younger than Dutch cities such as Nijmegen, Rotterdam, and Utrecht. In October 2008, historical geographer Chris de Bont suggested that the land around Amsterdam was being reclaimed as early as the late 10th century. This does not necessarily mean there was already a settlement then, since reclamation of land may not have been for farming—it may have been for peat. Amsterdam was granted city rights in either 1300 or 1306, from the 14th century on, Amsterdam flourished, largely from trade with the Hanseatic League
2.
Vincent van Gogh
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Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade he created about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings and his suicide at 37 followed years of mental illness and poverty. Born into a family, Van Gogh drew as a child and was serious, quiet. As a young man he worked as an art dealer, often travelling and he turned to religion, and spent time as a Protestant missionary in southern Belgium. He drifted in ill health and solitude before taking up painting in 1881 and his younger brother Theo supported him financially, and the two kept up a long correspondence by letter. His early works, mostly still lifes and depictions of peasant labourers, in 1886 he moved to Paris, where he met members of the avant-garde, including Émile Bernard and Paul Gauguin, who were reacting against the Impressionist sensibility. As his work developed he created a new approach to still lifes and his paintings grew brighter in colour as he developed a style that became fully realised during his stay in Arles in the south of France in 1888. During this period he broadened his subject matter to include trees, cypresses, wheat fields. Van Gogh suffered from episodes and delusions and though he worried about his mental stability, he often neglected his physical health, did not eat properly. His friendship with Gauguin ended after a confrontation with a razor and he spent time in psychiatric hospitals, including a period at Saint-Rémy. After he discharged himself and moved to the Auberge Ravoux in Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris and his depression continued and on 27 July 1890, Van Gogh shot himself in the chest with a revolver. He died from his injuries two days later, Van Gogh was unsuccessful during his lifetime, and was considered a madman and a failure. He became famous after his suicide, and exists in the imagination as the quintessential misunderstood genius. His reputation began to grow in the early 20th century as elements of his style came to be incorporated by the Fauves. The most comprehensive source on Van Gogh is the correspondence between him and his younger brother, Theo. Their lifelong friendship, and most of what is known of Vincents thoughts, Theo van Gogh was an art dealer and provided his brother with financial and emotional support, and access to influential people on the contemporary art scene. Theo kept all of Vincents letters to him, Vincent kept few of the letters he received, after both had died, Theos widow Johanna arranged for the publication of some of their letters. A few appeared in 1906 and 1913, the majority were published in 1914, Vincents letters are eloquent and expressive and have been described as having a diary-like intimacy, and read in parts like autobiography
3.
Elburg
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Elburg is a municipality and a city in the province of Gelderland, Netherlands. There is evidence of a Neolithic settlement at Elburg consisting of stone tools, from Roman times there are names and shards of earthenware which suggest that there was an army camp at the site of Elburg. This rapid rebuilding was expensive, indicating that Elburg was reasonably affluent in medieval times, several records of Elburg date back to the 14th century. Elburg was granted status by Earl Jan van Geel early in the century. There is a record that Elburg got its fishing right granted in 1313, in 1367 the city was recorded as a member of the Hanseatic League. Throughout the centuries, Elburgh remained a fishing and farming center until the end of World War II, unlike many other Dutch towns, Elburg had refused to use city funds to build a railroad station in 1863. Because the land owners were asking unreasonably high prices for the right of way over their property, as a consequence, Elburg became less attractive for manufacturers compared with neighboring places like Harderwijk. In addition, the closing off of the Zuiderzee in 1932 meant an end to the industry of Elburg. Therefore, since 1956, the city concluded that only tourism would be the most viable sector for the local economy, because of its favourable position both on the edge of the canal and near the Veluwemeer, tourists have made it a popular tourist destination. Each year many visit to see the largely unchanged medieval town, especially during the Midweekfeesten, Botterdagen and Kerst in de Vesting, which attract more than 30,000 visitors each year
4.
Utrecht
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Utrecht is the capital and most populous city in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the corner of the Randstad conurbation and is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands with a population of 330,772 in 2014. Utrechts ancient city centre features many buildings and structures several dating as far back as the High Middle Ages and it has been the religious centre of the Netherlands since the 8th century. It lost the status of prince-bishopric but remains the religious center in the country. Utrecht was the most important city in the Netherlands until the Dutch Golden Age, Utrecht is host to Utrecht University, the largest university in the Netherlands, as well as several other institutions of higher education. Due to its position within the country, it is an important transport hub for both rail and road transport. It has the second highest number of events in the Netherlands. In 2012, Lonely Planet included Utrecht in the top 10 of the world’s unsung places, a series of such fortresses was built after the Roman emperor Claudius decided the empire should not expand north. To consolidate the border the limes Germanicus defense line was constructed along the branch of the river Rhine. These fortresses were designed to house a cohort of about 500 Roman soldiers, near the fort settlements would grow housing artisans, traders and soldiers wives and children. In Roman times, the name of the Utrecht fortress was simply Traiectum, Traiectum became Dutch Trecht, with the U from Old Dutch uut added to distinguish U-trecht from Maas-tricht. In 11th-century official documents it was Latinized as Ultra Traiectum, around the year 200, the wooden walls of the fortification were replaced by sturdier tuff stone walls, remnants of which are still to be found below the buildings around Dom Square. From the middle of the 3rd century Germanic tribes regularly invaded the Roman territories, around 275 the Romans could no longer maintain the northern border and Utrecht was abandoned. Little is known about the next period 270–650, Utrecht is first spoken of again several centuries after the Romans left. Under the influence of the realms of the Franks, during Dagobert Is reign in the 7th century. In ongoing border conflicts with the Frisians this first church was destroyed, by the mid-7th century, English and Irish missionaries set out to convert the Frisians. The pope appointed their leader, Willibrordus, bishop of the Frisians, the tenure of Willibrordus is generally considered to be the beginning of the Bishopric of Utrecht. In 723, the Frankish leader Charles Martel bestowed the fortress in Utrecht, from then on Utrecht became one of the most influential seats of power for the Roman Catholic Church in the Netherlands
5.
Auvers-sur-Oise
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Auvers-sur-Oise is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 27.2 km from the centre of Paris and it is associated with several famous artists, the most prominent being Vincent van Gogh. Daubignys house is now a museum where one can see paintings by the artist, his family, if you walk along the river from Auvers toward Pontoise you can see a number of views which figured in the paintings of Pissarro. During the 20th century artists continued to frequent Auvers, including Henri Rousseau, Otto Freundlich, the COBRA artist Corneille spent his last years in the village and is buried a few meters from Vincent van Gogh. On 1 August 1948, 17% of the territory of Auvers-sur-Oise was detached, Dr. Paul Gachet lived in Auvers-sur-Oise. He was acquainted with the artists of the time. Through this connection, Vincent van Gogh moved to Auvers to be treated by him, Gachet befriended Van Gogh and was the subject of two portraits, one of which, Portrait of Dr. Gachet, was sold at auction for over $80m in 1990. Van Gogh died by a gunshot to the chest, the room on the upper floor of the Auberge Ravoux where he died has been preserved, although no furniture remains. Auvers-sur-Oise is the resting place of both Vincent and his brother Theo van Gogh, who died six months later. Auvers-sur-Oise in art Auvers-sur-Oise is served by two stations on the Transilien Paris – Nord suburban rail line, Chaponval and Auvers-sur-Oise. Communes of the Val-dOise department Auvers during the time of Vincent van Gogh INSEE Association of Mayors of the Val d’Oise Official website The Complete Works of Vincent van Gogh
6.
Paul Gachet
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Paul-Ferdinand Gachet was a French physician most famous for treating the painter Vincent van Gogh during his last weeks in Auvers-sur-Oise. Gachet was a supporter of artists and the Impressionist movement. He was a painter, signing his works Paul van Ryssel, referring to his birthplace. Born and raised in Lille, his family moved to Mechelen and he qualified for a B. A. at the University of Paris and then worked at the mental hospitals of Bicêtre and Salpêtrière. In 1858 he received a degree for his thesis Étude sur la Mélancolie. He returned to Paris and set up a private practice and he knew Gustave Courbet, Champfleury, Victor Hugo and later Paul Cézanne. He was a friend of the chemist Henri Nestlé and prescribed Nestlés new powdered milk supplement to some of his child patients and he spent much time with Charles Méryon after the etchers committal to Charenton. He oversaw Auguste Renoirs recovery from pneumonia in 1882 and he advised Édouard Manet against the amputation of his leg. However, Manet did not follow this advice, Gachets tomb is situated in section 52 of Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Vincents brother, Theo van Gogh, thought that Gachets background, very soon after he began seeing Gachet, however, Vincent began to doubt the doctors usefulness. Vincent described Gachet as, sicker than I am, I think, Gachet has come in for much criticism over the years regarding Van Goghs suicide after ten weeks of consultation. However Van Gogh was either unable or unwilling to follow his doctors advice to cut back on alcohol, according to Arnold, there was not much else available to any physician of the day which could have reversed the course of Vincents illness. Gachet was friends with and treated Pissarro, Renoir, Manet, Cézanne and Goeneutte and he had amassed one of the largest impressionist art collections in Europe before he died in 1909. Paul Gachet at Find a Grave
7.
Portraits by Vincent van Gogh
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Vincent van Gogh lived during the Impressionist era. With the development of photography, painters and artists turned to conveying the feeling and ideas behind people, places, Impressionist artists did this by emphasizing certain hues, using vigorous brushstrokes, and paying attention to highlighting. Vincent van Gogh implemented this ideology to pursue his goal of depicting his own feelings toward, Van Gogh’s portraiture focuses on color and brushstrokes to demonstrate their inner qualities and van Gogh’s own relationship with them. Vincent van Gogh painted portraits throughout his career from 1881 through 1890, Van Gogh was fascinated with making portraits early in his artistic career. Even so, he considered it a matter to focus on their character. Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo in November 1882 that he had drawn a portrait of Jozef Blok, unlike the character studies, the work was detailed in pencil with watercolor and chalk. At this time it was rare for Van Gogh to use color, in November 1882 Van Gogh began drawings of individuals to depict a range of character types from the working class. The peasant genre that greatly influenced Van Gogh began in the 1840s with the works of Jean-François Millet, Jules Breton, in 1885 Van Gogh described the painting of peasants as the most essential contribution to modern art. If one hasnt a horse, one is ones own horse, to depicting the essence of the life of the peasant and their spirit, Van Gogh lived as they lived, he was in the fields as they were, enduring the weather or long hours as they were. To do so was not something taught in schools, he noted, Van Gogh described his sitter for this painting a wonderful old man. It was made in Antwerp where Van Gogh hoped to bring in money to himself by painting portraits. Van Gogh made a series of paintings of Sien Hoornik, a prostitute whom he met, included in the series are works of Siens daughter, Maria, her newborn son and her mother. Van Gogh occasionally visited Café du Tambourin run by Agostina Segatori, the Italian Woman also called Le Italienne is without doubt Agostina Segatori, per the Musée dOrsay. Van Gogh introduced elements of Japanese woodcut prints in this portrait, surrounding her image is an asymmetrical border with a monochromatic background. He also brings, though, his own style and energy to the work as compared to the lines of the Asian prints. Van Gogh creates his own style of brushstroke from Impressionism and Pointillism and he uses red and green in her face which he later described as a technique to be able to express the terrible passions of humanity by means of red and green. The Portrait of Etienne-Lucien Martin was made of the owner of a restaurant in Paris and he allowed artists to exhibit their work. In November 1887 Van Gogh and his friends showed their works, Van Gogh made the painting of Martin with care and precision
8.
Berlin
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Berlin is the capital and the largest city of Germany as well as one of its constituent 16 states. With a population of approximately 3.5 million, Berlin is the second most populous city proper, due to its location in the European Plain, Berlin is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. Around one-third of the area is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers. Berlin in the 1920s was the third largest municipality in the world, following German reunification in 1990, Berlin once again became the capital of all-Germany. Berlin is a city of culture, politics, media. Its economy is based on high-tech firms and the sector, encompassing a diverse range of creative industries, research facilities, media corporations. Berlin serves as a hub for air and rail traffic and has a highly complex public transportation network. The metropolis is a popular tourist destination, significant industries also include IT, pharmaceuticals, biomedical engineering, clean tech, biotechnology, construction and electronics. Modern Berlin is home to world renowned universities, orchestras, museums and its urban setting has made it a sought-after location for international film productions. The city is known for its festivals, diverse architecture, nightlife, contemporary arts. Since 2000 Berlin has seen the emergence of a cosmopolitan entrepreneurial scene, the name Berlin has its roots in the language of West Slavic inhabitants of the area of todays Berlin, and may be related to the Old Polabian stem berl-/birl-. All German place names ending on -ow, -itz and -in, since the Ber- at the beginning sounds like the German word Bär, a bear appears in the coat of arms of the city. It is therefore a canting arm, the first written records of towns in the area of present-day Berlin date from the late 12th century. Spandau is first mentioned in 1197 and Köpenick in 1209, although these areas did not join Berlin until 1920, the central part of Berlin can be traced back to two towns. Cölln on the Fischerinsel is first mentioned in a 1237 document,1237 is considered the founding date of the city. The two towns over time formed close economic and social ties, and profited from the right on the two important trade routes Via Imperii and from Bruges to Novgorod. In 1307, they formed an alliance with a common external policy, in 1415 Frederick I became the elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which he ruled until 1440. In 1443 Frederick II Irontooth started the construction of a new palace in the twin city Berlin-Cölln
9.
The Letters of Vincent van Gogh
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The Letters of Vincent van Gogh refers to a collection of 903 surviving letters written or received by Vincent van Gogh. More than 650 of these were from Vincent to his brother Theo, the collection also includes letters van Gogh wrote to his sister Wil and other relatives, as well as between artists such as Paul Gauguin, Anthon van Rappard and Émile Bernard. Vincents sister-in-law and wife to his brother Theo, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, spent many years after her husbands death in 1891 compiling the letters, by contrast Vincent infrequently kept letters sent him and just 84 have survived, of which 39 were from Theo. Nevertheless, it is to these letters between the brothers that we owe much of what we know today about Vincent van Gogh, indeed, the only period where we are relatively uninformed is the Parisian period when they shared an apartment and had no need to correspond. The letters effectively play much the role in shedding light on the art of the period as those between the de Goncourt brothers did for literature. Within two years both brothers were dead, Vincent as the result of a wound, and Theo from illness. Joanna began the task of completing the collection, which was published in full in January 1914 and that first edition consisted of three volumes, and was followed in 1952–1954 by a four-volume edition that included additional letters. Jan Hulsker suggested, in 1987, that the letters be organized in date order, the project consists of a complete annotated collection of letters written by and to Vincent. In the last days of December 1901, running through January 1902, Bruno Cassirer and his cousin Paul Cassirer organized the first van Gogh exhibition in Berlin, Germany. Paul Cassirer first established a market for van Gogh, and then, with the assistance of Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, in 1906 Bruno Cassirer published a small volume of selected letters of Vincents to Theo, translated into German. Of the 844 surviving letters that van Gogh wrote,663 were written to Theo,9 to Theo, of the letters Vincent received from Theo, only 39 survive. The first letter was written when Vincent was 19 and begins, at that time Vincent was not yet developed as a letter writer – he was factual, but not introspective. When he moved to London, and later to Paris, he began to add personal information. Beginning in 1888 and ending a year later, van Gogh wrote 22 letters to Émile Bernard in which the tone is different from those to Theo, in these letters van Gogh wrote more about his techniques, his use of color, and his theories. Van Gogh was a reader, and his letters reflect his literary pursuits as well as a uniquely authentic literary style. His writing style in the letters reflect the literature he read and valued, Balzac, historians such as Michelet, additionally he read novels written by George Eliot, Charlotte Brontë, Charles Dickens, Keats poetry, reading mostly at night when the light was too poor for painting. Gauguin told him that he read too much, poet W. H. Auden wrote about the letters, there is scarcely one letter by van Gogh which I. do not find fascinating. Pomerans believes the letters to be on the level of world literature based on style, in the letters Vincent reflects different facets of his personality and he adopts a tone specific to his circumstances
10.
International Institute of Social History
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The International Institute of Social History is one of the largest archives for labour, left and social history in the world. It is an independent scientific institute in Amsterdam, the IISG is part of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. It was founded in 1935 by Nicolaas Posthumus, the International Institute of Social History was founded in 1935 by Nicolaas Posthumus. To examine how labour relations develop over time, IISG collected archives from all over the world, during the first years Posthumus succeeded in obtaining many papers from anarchist, other socialist and social democratic and Marxist movements from Germany and Russia. Before the Germans invaded the Netherlands in 1940, Posthumus was able to move the most valuable archives to London, during the war, many remaining IISG archives were transported to Nazi Germany. Most of the papers were rediscovered in Hannover in 1946, and some parts were later found in archives in Moscow in 1991. In 1989 the International Institute of Social History moved to new premises, the building also houses the Press Museum. There are also many institutional archives, among which the archives of the Russian Socialist Revolutionary Party, the Red Army Faction, in the last decades the IISG also acquired the archives of Greenpeace and Amnesty International. A related institution is the Swiss Social Archives in Zurich, jaap Kloosterman, Jan Lucassen et al. Three quarters of a century of collecting at the IISH, ISBN9789052603896 International Institute of Social History Index to the Archives of the IISH
11.
Vincent van Gogh chronology
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This is a chronology of the artist Vincent van Gogh. It is based as far as possible on Van Goghs correspondence, however, it has only been possible to construct the chronology by drawing on additional sources. Most of his letters are not dated, and it was only in 1973 that a sufficient dating was established by Jan Hulsker, subsequently revised by Ronald Pickvance and marginally corrected by others. Many other relevant dates in the chronology derive from the biographies of his brother Theo, his uncle and godfather Cent, his friends Émile Bernard and Paul Gauguin, facts and dates which are undisputed, remain unreferenced. Theodorus van Gogh, since 1849 pastore in Groot-Zundert, married Anna Cornelia Carbentus, his brother Cents sister-in-law, March 30, a first son, called Vincent, died at birth. March 30, Vincent Willem van Gogh is born in Groot-Zundert, February 17, sister Anna Cornelia van Gogh, called Anna, is born. May 1, brother Theodorus van Gogh, called Theo, is born, may 16, sister Elisabeth Huberta van Gogh, called Lies, is born. March 26, Uncle Cent becomes partner of Goupil & Cie. March 16, sister Willemina Jacoba van Gogh, October 1, in Zevenbergen to attend the school of Jan Provily. September 3, enters secondary school at Tilburg, may 17, brother Cornelis Vincent van Gogh, called Cor, is born. March, leaves Tilburg and returns to his family in Zundert, July 30, Vincent starts apprenticeship with Goupil & Cie, The Hague. January, Van Goghs family moves to Helvoirt, January 1, Theo starts apprenticeship with Goupil & Cie, Brussels. February 19, the lot to serve in the army has fallen on Vincent, may 12, Vincent leaves for Paris where he visits the Paris branches of Goupil & Cie, the annual Salon and the Musée du Luxembourg. A week later, takes up work at the London branch of Goupil & Cie, August, moves to the house of Ursula Loyer and her daughter Eugenie in Brixton,87 Hackford Road. June 27 - July 15, summer holiday with his family in Helvoirt, November, on the demand of Uncle Cent, Vincent is transferred to Paris to get acquainted with the headquarters of Goupil & Cie. November 26, Jet Carbentus, a cousin of Vincent, marries Anton Mauve, Christmas, with his family in Helvoirt. May 24, Goupils London opens its first exhibition, end of May, Vincent is re-transferred to Paris headquarters. October 18, Van Goghs family moves to Etten, Christmas, with his family in Etten. December 30, visits Uncle C. M. in the Hague to talk about his future, December 31, father thinks he has to advise Vincent to resign
12.
Death of Vincent van Gogh
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Van Gogh was shot in the stomach, either by himself or by others, and died two days later. In 1889, Vincent van Gogh experienced a deterioration in his mental health, as a result of incidents in Arles leading to a public petition, he was committed to a hospital. His condition improved and he was ready to be discharged by March 1889, at Salles suggestion van Gogh chose an asylum in nearby Saint-Rémy. Theo originally resisted this choice, even suggesting that Vincent rejoin Paul Gauguin in Pont Aven, Vincent entered the asylum in early May 1889. His mental condition remained stable for a while and he was able to work en plein air, producing many of his most iconic paintings, such as Starry Night, at this time. However at the end of July, following a trip to Arles and he made a good recovery, only to suffer another relapse in late December 1889, and early the following January an acute relapse while delivering a portrait of Madame Ginoux to her in Arles. This last relapse, described by Jan Hulsker as his longest and saddest, lasted until March 1890. In May 1890 Vincent was discharged from the asylum, and after spending a few days with Theo and Jo in Paris, Vincent went to live in Auvers-sur-Oise, a commune north of Paris popular with artists. Shortly before leaving Saint-Rémy, Van Gogh told how he was suffering from his stay in the hospital, I need some air, I feel overwhelmed by boredom and grief. On arriving at Auvers, van Goghs health was not very good. Writing on 21 May to Theo he comments, I can do nothing about my illness, I am suffering a little just now — the thing is that after that long seclusion the days seem like weeks to me. But by 25 May, the artist was able to report to his parents that his health had improved and his letters to his sister Wilhelmina on 5 June and to Theo and his wife Jo on about 10 June indicate a continued improvement, his nightmares almost having disappeared. The other patients society had a bad influence on me, furthermore, an unsent letter to Paul Gauguin which van Gogh wrote around 17 June is quite positive about his plans for the future. After describing his recent colourful wheat studies, he explains, I would like to paint some portraits against a very vivid yet tranquil background. On 2 July, writing to his brother, van Gogh comments, I myself am also trying to do as well as I can, and if my disease returns, you would forgive me. I still love art and life very much, the first sign of new problems was revealed in a letter van Gogh wrote to Theo on 10 July. He first states, I am very well, I am working hard, have painted four studies, first of all, he is sicker than I am, I think, or shall we say just as much, so thats that. Certainly my last attack, which was terrible, was in a large measure due to the influence of the other patients, later in the letter he adds, For myself, I can only say at the moment that I think we all need rest — I feel exhausted
