The Young Van Gogh
From Van Gogh's early letters to his brother, Theo:
You mustn’t, whatever you do, think that I have great expectations regarding the appreciation of my work — I believe one must be satisfied if one gets to the point where one can persuade a few people of the soundness of what one is striving for and is understood by them, without exaggerated praise.And the rest is a matter of, if something comes of it so much the better, but something that one should even think about as little as possible. But still I believe the work has to be seen, precisely because the few friends can settle out from the stream of passers-by. One doesn’t have to be guided by what the majority say or do, though.
The early sketches and roughs of paintings he sent to his brother are lovely and reflect a side of him, and his art, that I never knew.
(via BibliOdyssey)