There certainly is an affinity between a person and his work, but it is not easy to define what this affinity is, and on that question many judge quite wrongly. Vincent Van Gogh More Quotes by Vincent Van Gogh More Quotes From Vincent Van Gogh Though I am often in the depths of misery, there is still calmness, pure harmony and music inside me. I see paintings or drawings in the poorest cottages, in the dirtiest corners. And my mind is driven towards these things with an irresistible momentum. Vincent Van Gogh drawing music mind We feel lonely now and then and long for friends and think we should be quite different and happier if we found a friend of whom we might say: “He is the one.” But you, too, will begin to learn that there is much self-deception behind this longing; if we yielded too much to it, it would lead us from the road. Vincent Van Gogh lonely self thinking Conscience is a man's compass. Vincent Van Gogh compass artist men It constantly remains a source of disappointment to me that my drawings are not yet what I want them to be. The difficulties are indeed numerous and great, and cannot be overcome at once. To make progress is a kind of miner’s work; it doesn’t advance as quickly as one would like, and as others also expect, but as one stands before such a task, the basic necessities are patience and faithfulness. In fact, I do not think much about the difficulties, because if one thought of them too much one would get stunned or disturbed. Vincent Van Gogh drawing disappointment thinking At present I absolutely want to paint a starry sky. It often seems to me that night is still more richly coloured than the day; having hues of the most intense violets, blues and greens. If only you pay attention to it you will see that certain stars are lemon-yellow, others pink or a green, blue and forget-me-not brilliance. And without my expatiating on this theme it is obvious that putting little white dots on the blue-black is not enough to paint a starry sky. Vincent Van Gogh stars blue night When I have a terrible need of - shall I say the word - religion. Then I go out and paint the stars. Vincent Van Gogh stars nature ignorance People are often unable to do anything, imprisoned as they are in I don't know what kind of terrible, terrible, oh such terrible cage. Vincent Van Gogh cages kind people There are colors which cause each other to shine brilliantly, which form a couple which complete each other like man and woman. Vincent Van Gogh color couple men I often think of you all, one cannot do what one wants in life. The more you feel attached to a spot, the more ruthlessly you are compelled to leave it, but the memories remain, and one remembers - as in a looking glass, darkly - one's absent friends. Vincent Van Gogh glasses memories thinking Do not become the slave of your model. Vincent Van Gogh quench slave models The more ugly, old, nasty, ill, and poor I become the more I want to get my own back by producing vibrant, well-arranged, radiant colour. Vincent Van Gogh ugly nasty want But what's your ultimate goal, you'll say. That goal will become clearer, will take shape slowly and surely, as the croquis becomes a sketch and the sketch a painting, as one works more seriously, as one digs deeper into the originally vague idea, the first fugitive, passing thought, unless it becomes firm. Vincent Van Gogh shapes goal ideas The thing has already taken form in my mind before I start it. The first attempts are absolutely unbearable. I say this because I want you to know that if you see something worthwhile in what I am doing, it is not by accident but because of real direction and purpose. Vincent Van Gogh taken real mind There is a sun, a light that for want of another word I can only call yellow, pale sulphur yellow, pale golden citron. How lovely yellow is! Vincent Van Gogh light yellow art One must learn to read, just as one must learn to see and learn to live. Vincent Van Gogh Painting is like having a bad mistress who spends and spends and it's never enough ... I tell myself that even if a tolerable study comes out of it from time to time, it would have been cheaper to buy it from somebody else. Vincent Van Gogh mistress painting study I've never felt a desire (and I don't believe I ever shall) to bring the public to my work... a certain popularity seems to me the least desirable of things. Vincent Van Gogh popularity desire believe What color is in a picture, enthusiasm is in life. Vincent Van Gogh color enthusiasm I assure you that there's a lot involved in compositions with figures. ... It's like weaving... you must control and keep an eye on several things at once. Vincent Van Gogh weaving figures eye For the great doesn't happen through impulse alone, and is a succession of little things that are brought together. Vincent Van Gogh little-things together littles
