Why did he commit suicide? Why on that very day?
July 27th was a Sunday, day when Theo did not work. Why didn’t he suggest to Vincent to join him in Paris since he was alone (after accompanying his wife and his son to Holland), and since he couldn’t help asking “to see ourselves again still calmer”?
Why didn’t Theo tell Vincent about his making up with his bosses? Though he wrote on that very day to his mother : “yesterday morning, I talked with these Sirs, and I discovered that they were quite pleased with me…Etienne B. was very kind and said he hadn’t made up his mind yet as to the treatment and that they would see if they could get things easier for me…” That seemed to have reassured Vincent… Why didn’t he suit the action to the words?
In his last letter, Vincent admits his failure to talk to Theo: “say, why should I insist on less important things, getting the chance to talk matters with a rested mind won’t happen so soon”.
Theo moved away, and doesn’t want to hear of his brother’s anxiety anymore…He’s well: “the trip to Holland did me a lot of good and I feel rested, which I find positive for our health…” , his life is now so “closely linked to this child” that he can’t hear Vincent or doesn’t want to listen to him anymore…
Vincent is much worried. He can feel Theo’s reproaches, his advice to go and see Gachet…whom he can’t even consult anymore…who betrayed him as well, closing his door to him…Because of Marguerite?
Vincent’s feelings are really passionate… After his failures with Eugénie or Kee, he was in the doldrums for some months…
Once again, he feels rejected…Did he try to see Marguerite again? Was he turned down again?
The outlook didn’t look very promising…almost no paint left though it was the only answer to his pain, the only cure…He cut down his order to “a harsh minimum”…Enough to finish the current paintings? He won’t wait for it.
He had noticed the gun that Ravoux kept into a drawer…That very afternoon, he took it, sank into the fields, and shot a bullet in his heart. He thought he was dead. Sank in coma. But the bullet had rebounded off a rib, it had sunk in his stomach…He woke up, night had fallen, thought he had missed his suicide, went back to the inn. Mrs Ravoux noticed that he was holding his stomach, sent her husband in Vincent’s