Letter 10/16/1888 - by Vincent van Gogh

At last I'm sending you a small sketch to give you at least an idea of the direction my work is taking. Because today I've gone back to it. My eyes are still weary, but a new idea came into my head, so here's a sketch of it. Again a size 30 canvas. This time it's simply my bedroom, but here it's the color that must make jt what it is, bringing greater style to things through simplification and creating the feeling of rest or sleep in general. In fact, looking at this picture ought to bring a sense of repose to the brain or rather to the imagination.

The walls are pale violet. The floor tiles red. The wooden bed and chairs are a fresh, butter yellow, the sheet and the pillows a very light lemon green.

The bedcover is scarlet red. The window green.

The washstand orange, the basin blue. The doors lilac. And that's it - nothing more in this room with its closed shutters.

The solidity of the furniture should again express a sense of unwavering repose. The portraits on the wall and a mirror, a hand towel, and a few clothes.

The frame - as there is no white in the picture - will be white. This is by way of revenge for the enforced rest I've been obliged to take.

I shall work on it again all day tomorrow, but you can see how simple the concept is. Shadow and cast shadows are done away with; it's colored in plain, flat tints like Japanese prints.