Date: August 1888
Location: Arles, France
Dear Diary,
The sun in Arles was relentless today, but it filled me with a sense of purpose. I spent
the day immersed in painting Sunflowers vivid, golden, and full of life. I can’t help but feel
that these flowers capture something beyond their beauty. They are a symbol of gratitude,
warmth, and hope, and I want them to brighten the walls of the Yellow House. Paul Gauguin
will be arriving soon, and I dream of creating a space where he will feel inspired. I want this
place to be a haven for artists like us a refuge from loneliness and a source of creativity. But
the journey to this moment has not been easy. After leaving Paris earlier this year, I felt
drained from the chaos of city life. The noise, the rejection from the art world, and the
misunderstandings left me feeling isolated.
Moving to Arles was my chance to start fresh to find peace and clarity in the
countryside. Yet, even here, I battle my restless mind. My thoughts often race, and my
emotions swing between elation and despair. Today, I struggled with the heat drying the paint
too quickly, making it hard to blend the shades of yellow I wanted. My impatience got the
best of me again, I ruined a few petals and had to scrape them off to start over. But I
reminded myself why I am doing this.
I want these sunflowers to reflect the joy and hope I still cling to, despite the darkness
that sometimes consumes me. I chose sunflowers not just for their beauty, but because they
represent the cycle of life some blooming, others wilting. Perhaps they mirror my own
struggles, reminding me that even in decay, there is still beauty. I hope that when Gauguin
sees these paintings, he will understand what I am trying to say something words cannot fully
express.
Yours,
Vincent Gogh🌻
