The Letters of Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh was a prolific letter writer, penning letters from the time he was a teenager to the day before he died. Of the almost 900 letters that survive, the majority are addressed to his younger brother Theo, with whom he shared a close lifelong relationship. The letters evolve over time, from describing daily life as a young man to discussing the artists he admired as well as reflections on his own art as he traveled in Holland, England, Belgium, and France.

Click here to explore Van Gogh’s letters, as compiled by organizers of the Van Gogh Letters Project—the product of fifteen years of research. Richly annotated and illustrated, the website offers transcriptions and English translations, as well as images of the handwritten letters, many of which are illustrated with sketches.

“Always continue walking a lot and loving nature, for that’s the real way to learn to understand art better and better. Painters understand nature and love it, and teach us to see.” —Vincent van Gogh in a letter to his brother Theo, 1874

A fully illustrated catalogue that chronicles the artist’s ongoing relationship with nature throughout his entire career accompanies the exhibition. Vivid color photography and explanatory texts based on new research clarify this central theme of Van Gogh’s oeuvre. The catalogue is published by the Clark and distributed by Yale University Press. Call the Museum Store at 413 458 0520 to order. 

Van Gogh and Nature is made possible by the generous contributions of Denise Littlefield Sobel and Diane and Andreas Halvorsen. Major support is provided by Acquavella Galleries and the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from Howard Bellin; the Consulate General of the Kingdom of The Netherlands; the Robert Lehman Foundation; and the Netherland-America Foundation. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.