The heath was beautiful this evening…

by Van Gogh

in New Amsterdam

3 October

sketches from letter to Theo, 3 October 1883 The heath was extraordinarily beautiful this evening. There’s a Daubigny in one of the Albums Boetzel that expresses the effect precisely. The sky was an inexpressibly delicate lilac white – not fleecy clouds, because they were more joined together and covered the whole sky, but tufts in tints more of less of lilac – grey – white – a single small rent through which the blue gleamed. Then on the horizon a sparkling red streak – beneath it the surprisingly dark expanse of brown heath, and a multitude of low roofs of small huts standing out against the glowing red streak.

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Caroline Millar UNITED KINGDOM October 6, 2009 at 6:10 pm

What poetic writing! Van Gogh undoubtedly has a marvellous prose style. He was a man of many talents!

Martine UNITED KINGDOM October 7, 2009 at 1:34 pm

he was as descriptive in words as he was in his paintings… what an eye for detail.

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