Suze Robertson Quotes

Dear Richard, I just received your letter; I will send the money order f 10 [10 guilders] immediately for the swimming of Saar [their daughter, 10 years old]. She seems to be going well ahead, I think, at least if she can jump off the springboard by herself. Her letter was nice and cheerful. Yes I would have liked her to come here [in Heeze] but I am just afraid that I may not be able to work regularly or that she will get rather bored. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)

(version in original Dutch / origineel citaat van Suze Robertson's brief:) .Ik heb hier in het begin nog al erg getobd met kinderen, voor dat schilderijtje van Br. [waarschijnlijk, ?]. Het formaat dat bijna vierkant is. De vrouw moet naar rechts kijken [en] er moet een kind bij.. .Maar kinderen bij moeders heb ik weinig geschilderd tenminste in de laatste tijd heelemaal niet en dan kan ik met dat formaat (vierkant) niet goed klaarkomen. Ik denk nu haast Zondagmiddag in den Haag te komen vroeg hier uit te gaan. Maandag is hier weer heilige Dag [katholieke bevolking]. Dus kan ik ook niet werken..

I was in Amsterdam [train from The Hague] last Wednesday, exclusively for the paintings [at the exhibition in 'Arti', May 1888] .. ..I was delighted with the wonderful [painting of] Jaap Maris. I mean the big one, I never saw it before. Also the other paintings did much better [because of better light there]. So your 'White horse' ['White horse of Montmartre', painted by Breitner in Paris in 1884]. I even got the impression that the Dupré that hung next to it became feeble. 'De Brug' [Breitner's painting, also known as 'Rain and Wind'] is a good job, but that painting never attracted me. I do not know why.. ..but I believe you will not be much attached to my opinion about this or that painting. I know how a peanut I am with no right to do so. I stayed at the exhibition until four o'clock, then I returned to The Hague.. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)

.In the beginning I was struggling very much with [painting] children, for that painting by Br. [probably, Henk Bremmer?]. It has an almost square format. The woman must look to the right [and] there must be a child with her.. .But I painted only a few children with mothers, and recent times not at all; and then that size (square), I don't know how to handle it. I now think to come back to The Hague Sunday afternoon [and] to leave Heeze early. Monday here is another holy Day [catholic region]. So I can not work then.. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)

I'm not making any progress with the book that you were so kind to lend me [about techniques of etching]; the desire to study tie facts for etching from a book does not exist with me.. ..if you would rather give me some lessons, so that I can get some information, I will be glad..[which happened February / March 1891] (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)

(version in original Dutch / origineel citaat van Suze Robertson's brief:) Ik was Woensdag in Amsterdam [vanuit Den Haag], uitsluitend voor de schilderijen te zien [op de expositie in aan het Rokin, Mei 1888].. .Ik was in verrukking voor die heerlijke . Ik bedoel die groote, ik had het nog niet gezien. Ook anderen deden veel beter. Zo ook het witte paard ['Witte paard van Montmartre'], door in 1884 in Parijs geschilderd] van u. Ik kreeg zelfs de indruk dat die [Barbizon-schilder] die er naast hing er slap bij werd. 'De Brug' [schilderij van Breitner, ook wel 'Regen en Wind' genoemd] vind ik wel knap, doch dat schilderij heeft mij nooit aangetrokken. Ik weet niet waardoor.. .Doch u zult er al heel weinig aan hechten wat mijn opinie omtrent dit of dat schilderij is. Ik voel van hoe weinig beteekenis ik zelf ben om het recht daartoe te hebben. Tot vier uur ben ik op de expositie gebleven, toen ben ik weer naar Den Haag geretourneerd..