Skip to main content

Primary sourceLetter1872-1890, published 1914

The Letters of Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh · 1872-1890, published 1914

The surviving collection of letters written mostly by Van Gogh to his brother Theo, our main source for his life, thoughts and art theories.

These are Van Gogh's own letters, the central primary source for his biography and artistic ideas.

Ask Vincent van Gogh about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Two handwritten letter pages in brown ink on aged paper, with crossed-out words and a signature reading Vincent. The right page includes a small pen-and-ink sketch of a family seated around a table in a dim room, with a hanging lamp above.
Vincent van Gogh, letter to Theo van Gogh, Nuenen, 9 April 1885, with a sketch of The Potato Eaters.

About this source

What it is

A collection of over 900 surviving letters written or received by Vincent van Gogh, most sent to his brother Theo. Theo's wife, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, gathered and published them in full in 1914, after both brothers had died.

Why it matters

Because Theo kept almost every letter he received, while Vincent kept very few, these letters are the main record of Van Gogh's inner life, his struggles, his finances, and his ideas about colour and painting. They also reveal his wide reading and his distinctive writing style, which scholars and poets have praised as literature in its own right.

Look closer

  • Why do we know so much more about Vincent's thoughts than about most other painters of his time?
  • What does the survival of so many letters to Theo, but so few back, tell us about their relationship?
  • What might be missing from this picture of Van Gogh's life, given the gaps in the correspondence?

This letter is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Vincent van Gogh on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Vincent van Gogh sources

Meet the AI Vincent van Gogh →
Painting of a swirling night sky with bright yellow crescent moon and stars rendered as glowing spirals over blue hills. A tall dark cypress tree stands at left above a small village with a church steeple.Painting

Primary source

The Starry Night

Vincent van Gogh · June 1889

Black-and-white etching of a man's head in profile facing left, eyes closed, with a bald crown, prominent nose, full beard along the jaw, and a dark background. Handwritten signature and inscription along the lower margin.Painting

Primary source

Vincent van Gogh, 29 July 1890

29 July 1890

Oil painting of a vase of yellow sunflowers in various stages of bloom and wilt, against a yellow background, on a yellow tabletop. The cream-colored vase has the signature 'Vincent' and a blue rim.Painting

Primary source

Sunflowers

Vincent van Gogh · 1888

Print on cream paper showing two etched bookplates. The large upper-right plate reads EX LIBRIS and Vincent van Gogh, with a figure reclining beside an open book and a coat of arms. The smaller lower-left plate reads EX LIBRIS and Vincent van Gogh vertically, with a seated figure. Faint marks and stains fill the paper.Artifact

Primary source

Two Bookplates for Vincent van Gogh

Painting of a dim, lamp-lit peasant interior. A family of five sits around a table: four adults and a figure seen from behind in the center. They eat potatoes from a platter, and a teapot and cups sit on the table. A hanging lamp lights the scene.Painting

Primary source

The Potato Eaters

Vincent van Gogh · April-May 1885

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Vincent van Gogh now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions