".never in my life I have seen such a truly sad thing . A mother heartbroken about the loss of her only child is nothing compared to this. A broad streak or strip in front of you, which becomes blacker and blacker towards the horizon. a mysterious ticking and hissing of rain drops which keep hanging halfway the heather plant on each twig and sprout.."

“Our plans were to go to Amsterdam and Laren tomorrow and then spend another day with you.. .I am very busy again with 7 paintings at the same time, I still have a lot to do before I can go to Laren, going to live there. Now, this week I can say it more confidently, - when we find a suitable location.. .We are on a leap of eating out therefore this scribbling..”

“I really want to talk to you a lot, but what do I have to do? I still have things in progress here, two paintings and must necessarily study sheep.”

“our Goddess is sometimes so erratic, just when you want to speak to her, she is hiding and if you did not immediately think of her, she comes to give hanks incessantly and is so kind, anyway - we shall see..”

“You go outside, light your pipe, whistle a tune and just paint what you come across.”

“Hereby I send you back the 'Winter' . I hope you will be better satisfied now. After alternately smashing away and adding on the cart some new figures, finally this one climbed up, which I hope will do better than its predecessors..”

“At first I did not feel much inclined to agree , but I did not like to refuse the little fellow flatly, so we went off together. My companion did not suffer from loquacity; and, coming to a field with cows in it, I sat down to go on with a drawing which I had begun that morning. The little chap strolled around a bit and then settled down to work himself. We sat there for hours under the pollards, until I grew curious to see what the little fellow was at. He sat sketching with a bit of chalk; but, oh! I stood astounded. I seized him by the hand and stammered in my turn, 'My boy, what an artist you are! You stagger me! It's magnificent!'”