Van Gogh the writer

Perhaps the revelation of the exhibition currently on at the Royal Academy; he was almost as good a writer as painter.

Seeing as neither Ms Beta or I were tall enough to see over the majority of people (about 10 deep per painting), we contented ourselves with an extended period in the reading room, where you can browse his letters to all and sundry, but mostly his brother Theo.

As well as the thrill of the local history bit (he lived in Brixton and Kennington for a year in 1874), the thrill of his writing was immense; passionate, fluid, alive. This summed it up:

Do write soon if you can, I’m longing to hear from you, and believe me, after a handshake in thought

All the correspondence is available online, on an excellent site with full translations and notes. And the books would be a handsome gift too.