File 2106 - Subject index cards on Vincent van Gogh

7.0 cm of textual records

File consists of a card index of typed quotations and references from the correspondence of Vincent van Gogh. The cards are arranged by subject and usually contain the letter number, volume, and page number from an edition of "The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh". It is clear that Nouwen owned a 1978 Bulfinch Press edition, however, he may have had access to an 1958 edition as well. As such, the exact date of their creation is not clear. In addition to the index cards, there are three folded sheets of paper. Two of the sheets are alphabetical lists of the subject headings (i.e."The Mill", "Models", "Money", "Nature", "The Ordinary",etc.). The other is a typed copy of a 1875 letter to Van Gogh from Paris. A 'post-it' note has been attached to this letter reading "Removed from back of card file to make space". This note is not in Nouwen's hand. As well, the handwritten labels on these index card alphabetical dividers are not in Nouwen's hand. There are 13 cards which are out of order and can be found filed before "A".

Photocopies of the index cards can be found in volume IV of Nouwen's reading notes on van Gogh (see Teaching materials - file 2124).

Title based on contents of the file.
A reference to how these index cards may have created, why and by who is in a letter by HN to Jane Bouvier, March 6, 1978. A follow up letter from Bouvier to the Letter Project indicates that it was Steve Berry who created the cards. See accession 2011 20.

Revised by L Joson, 13 November 2018