“You will easily understand what doubts I had to overcome, until I became convinced that I had to follow this way. Of course, I clearly understood what it means ‘to drop the objective.’ With what doubts I was troubled regarding my own powers! For I knew at once _what_ powers were _absolutely_ required for this task. How this inner development proceeded, how _everything_ pushed me on to this way and how the exterior development slowly but logically (step by step) followed suit, you will see from my book that is to appear shortly (in English). All that I still see _ahead_ of me, all these tasks, the ever-increasing wealth of possibilities, the ever-growing depth of painting I cannot describe. And one must and _may_ not describe such things: they must mature _innerly_ in secret confinement and may not be expressed otherwise than by the painter’s art. “If in time you acquire the ability to more exactly _live_ my pictures, you will have to admit that the element of ‘chance’ is very rarely met with in these pictures, and that it is more than amply covered by the large positive sides--so amply, indeed, that it is not worth while to mention those weak spots. “My constructive forms, although outwardly appearing indistinct, are in fact rigidly fixed as if they were cut in stone. “These explanations lead us too far; they could help only if illustrated by examples. Also, this letter is already much longer than it ought to be. I trust that I have expressed myself clearly! These things are so infinitely complicated, [Illustration: VLAMINCK Village ] and how often do I deviate from my theme and thus (instead of producing ‘clarity') cause confusion to become worse confounded!” * * * * * The result are paintings such as the four reproduced in color and half-tone. The brilliant color combinations and harmonies of the originals are inadequately disclosed in the reproductions, the scale is too reduced. But the forms are well indicated, strange, curious forms, meaningless on first impression but _insistent_. Most people are repelled at once by the landscapes because they seem so badly drawn a child could do better; but even as landscapes, as impressions of nature--or rather of _something in nature_--the pictures will not be denied. If they were intended to be accurate representations of natural scenes, mountains, fields, trees, houses, they would be ridiculous indeed, but they are not so intended, therefore they should not be so judged. In looking at these pictures--compositions, rather, it is but fair to look at them from the point of view of the painter, try to _read_ them as he _wrote_ them. * * * * * “_Compositional_” painting is no radical departure, no new discovery. The instinct of the child is to “compose,” to create. It is only after much chiding and correction that the child draws literally--copies what it _sees_. * * * * *