March 19, 2010
a meditation on personal translation
Tyler Cowen reviews a newly translated collection of van Gogh’s letters.
As for his letters to Theo, these are so full of life that it’s easy for the reader to assume that his brother is getting the “real Vincent.” But is he? Through much of this period, Theo is supporting van Gogh, either by sending him money, by selling his art (or trying to), or both. Writing to Theo, the artist comes across as whining, manipulative, and in careful control of the flow of information. It’s a kind of faux frankness, maybe not untrue but designed to portray a mind in creative ferment and to fit a certain stereotype. There is often first a thanks for money received, a blizzard of reports about what van Gogh is doing and painting, and then at the end a suggestion that even more painting, activity, and creative ferment might be possible if only Theo would do everything to support him. Time and again, the reader wonders just how much van Gogh and his brother trust each other. In the letter of August 14, 1879, for instance, he complains that Theo has advised him to give up his quest to be an artist. “And, joking apart, I honestly think it would be better if the relationship between us were more trusting on both sides,” van Gogh suggests, before apologizing for the possibility that so much of the family sorrow and discord have been caused by him. These look and sound like letters to his brother, but in essence we are reading fund-raising proposals.
The larger review serves as a meditation on personal translation — the way we interpret ourselves for others.
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“personal translation — the way we interpret ourselves for others”
What a useful term.
Incidentally, Deron, I mentioned this to AmandaAndrewKelsey the other day, but you should know that I can’t stop thinking about what you said at CFstock last year (which IIRC you also posted here somewhere) to the effect that the survival methods we learned to get us through our childhoods are what will destroy us as adults. I definitely got the gist, but I’m still trying to translate that into thoughts I can use.
Thank you.
thank you, India. I’m going to start crying here in a minute.
That statement was definitely one of the themes of the weekend.