Suze Robertson

"I was in Amsterdam [train from The Hague] last Wednesday, exclusively for the paintings [at the exhibition in 'Arti', May 1888] .. ..I was delighted with the wonderful [painting of] Jaap Maris. I mean the big one, I never saw it before. Also the other paintings did much better [because of better light there]. So your 'White horse' ['White horse of Montmartre', painted by Breitner in Paris in 1884]. I even got the impression that the Dupré that hung next to it became feeble. 'De Brug' [Breitner's painting, also known as 'Rain and Wind'] is a good job, but that painting never attracted me. I do not know why.. ..but I believe you will not be much attached to my opinion about this or that painting. I know how a peanut I am with no right to do so. I stayed at the exhibition until four o'clock, then I returned to The Hague.. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)"

"I'm not making any progress with the book that you were so kind to lend me [about techniques of etching]; the desire to study tie facts for etching from a book does not exist with me.. ..if you would rather give me some lessons, so that I can get some information, I will be glad..[which happened February / March 1891] (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)"

"Dear Richard, I just received your letter; I will send the money order f 10 [10 guilders] immediately for the swimming of Saar [their daughter, 10 years old]. She seems to be going well ahead, I think, at least if she can jump off the springboard by herself. Her letter was nice and cheerful. Yes I would have liked her to come here [in Heeze] but I am just afraid that I may not be able to work regularly or that she will get rather bored. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)"

"Dear Richard, I was just coming home from [painting] an interior [with people!]. It was terribly dark today and yesterday, but today I made a pretty good study. I still sleep badly and feel nervous because of that.. .I don't need to come to The Hague for my drawing lessons.. .How long we will stay here [in ], I don't know. I will write you at least in advance. If I don't start sleeping better I will not stay much longer, I think. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)"

".In the beginning I was struggling very much with [painting] children, for that painting by Br. [probably, Henk Bremmer?]. It has an almost square format. The woman must look to the right [and] there must be a child with her.. .But I painted only a few children with mothers, and recent times not at all; and then that size (square), I don't know how to handle it. I now think to come back to The Hague Sunday afternoon [and] to leave Heeze early. Monday here is another holy Day [catholic region]. So I can not work then.. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)"

"It is not so bad that my paintings have been placed in the so-called reading room [Amsterdam exhibition, probably Arti et Amicitiae at the Rokin?]. But it will be just as you write, they will definitely have to serve for FW Jansen and others. They certainly must get the medals and have to show in a most favorable way. .. Are there many beautiful things exhibited or is everything rather mediocre? Is there something to see of Breitner and Bauer. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)"

"But please come into my studio; It is now full of works everywhere, you see.. .Oh, you don't need to be careful; those paintings do fall together frequently; - it doesn't really harm them."

"Because - you need moderation for the perseverance in your work!"

"No, absolutely not, I have never been what one calls a gifted child, never a dreamer. I didn't think of making fantasies with the pencil on the paper, although at school we learned to draw and play music of course. But in those days the piano was actually what I preferred most.. .But until my eighteenth year I have been hesitating long between both [painting and playing piano].."

"I never had difficulties with my students, for I was prepared for their pranks, because fortunately I had often been naughty myself. We frequently made tremendous fun at the Art Academy in The Hague.. .So I still had my own experience in this area fresh in my mind."

"Although teaching in the class is so terribly tiring.. .I continued my work perfunctorily in a way that nobody could notice it. Because I lived with that firm intention: in a few years I will start painting. And I saved for this by being as sober as possible with everything."

"Yes, there was a lot of fuss about it, then [c. 1879-80].. .. [that] I also was permitted to enter the nude class [c. at the Art Academy in Rotterdam, evening classes!] .. that was never done before me by other ladies. I was the first who claimed it. And even in a local newspaper they cried shame about it: a young woman who painted nude model. And moreover.. a teacher with so many girls under her guidance. [at the Dutch Highschool]"

"..I therefore got around to painting [in Amsterdam, 1883] and that's why teaching started to become a burden for me. So then it HAD to happen now: Make or break! And I asked my dismissal at the school, threw away my 2500 florin a year, sacrificed everything, although I never made any painting yet, and certainly sold nothing at all. And my acquaintances, my family, they found me reckless and shamefully frivolous with my sacrifice to art, for which they did not felt any sympathy or understand anything of it after all."

"Then on a certain day I went out [from Amsterdam, c. 1881-82]. I traveled to Dongen, brought some interior studies back, to try to make something good of them."

"Well, sure, when you have some success, you also work with more self-confidence and ease. But before that time; that awkward question: am I going to sell or not. All the same I never took notice of it regarding to my work."

"In Fall, October, November, I'm usually at work in Heeze, for interior studies. That is a beautiful, and the most quite time; the leaf of the trees [dropped!], what gives in summer such a strong green light into the domestic interiors. It was in the lodging of the good Saskia [Ciska] .. ..that I always got very special care."

"What a struggle I had to make on that ['Mother and Child']. You would say, a nice assignment to make something good out of it, isn't it. I myself thought it that way. So I went to Heeze, I made a mass of studies of women with children, came back with the sketches to my studio.. .Oh, what an obsession.."

"Acquaintances, family, posing for me? - Oh no, please no acquaintances, no nephews or nieces.. .If I need them, I take models; am I searching for myself, tripping through the neighborhoods.."

"Miss, today I had the pleasure to admire your drawings here [exhibition 'Levende Meesters ' in Arti, Amsterdam]. The knight is doing very well. I think the onions [still-life] were better done in a passe-partout. Especially now the drawing is not cut off.. .At the Academy here [Rijksacademie Amsterdam] I like it very much. We have a pretty good model.. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)"

"..you know together enough how the world is running - what life is - and how people are - together you are two apostles, fighting for their art and that is 'worth the only reason'!! to stay alive.. ..now you are together - you can comfort each other when things go badly.. ..that keeps the mutual affection awake, so dear fellow, Suze - I wish you both all happiness.. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)"

"..I would love to see you [his friend Richard Bisschop and wife Suze] with your sprig - how does Suze do that, painting and cleaning nappies!! - and then painting children.. .I made children's portraits, I know what that means; enough to drive you mad.. [Suze hardly painted children in fact] (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)"

"..[a clear influence of his] talented wife [= Suze Robertson]. Perhaps in this painting by Bisschop one can see the spiritual marriage of two artists.. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)"

"My dear madam Bisschop [= Suze], I hope you will enter [the Katwijk painting exhibition] a few of your paintings. I always find your work so strong! Individual, broad and beautiful. I love it very much. Send us a few of your canvases. We'll get a nice entry, I believe. Please ask your husband if he wants to enter also a few of his paintings. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)"

".So please write me about it, do you believe that Saar [their daughter, 10 years old] must go, Suze? In that case send me a money order with that amount [for the travel costs of Saar; friends want to take her with them, on holiday]. I have almost no money left but for a few days. How to finish my painting so that Zürcher [art-seller] will buy it, the sky may know.. .If I had the gift of you to paint a simple thing nicely together then I certainly would do, but in my case people are used to a kind of painting that is completely finished; otherwise I will have no chance to sell it. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)"

"A stay in Dongen, where she painted interiors [c. 1880] followed by a next stay in Blaricum [c. 1885-88] where she also painted interiors, gave more shape to her searching.. .Anything that was sweet, she avoided in her work. The women, whether they lifted the weight of a [hang] clock, or were peeling the potatoes or were hastily breaking a branch, were rough in shape. Without softening the outlines by color or light.. ..and sometimes it gave the impression as if, for fear of everything that is feminine, she masked her femininity by the crudeness of her conception. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)"

"Nervousness - nonsense keep calm.. .[I] haven't seen everything already [of the submission of Suze Robertson for the exhibition 'Kunst van Heden' in Antwerp]. - [we] were busy unpacking - let me rummage around - you must come to the opening - banquet!. .Your submission is looking good. Yesterday Baseleer was in the hall and he was talking about a courtyard [of Suze] with white walls that was beautiful, I haven't seen it yet, had to make visits.. .I did see some.. ..nude figures and small paintings, wearing Suze's firm painting gesture, they are beautiful and rich in color.. .I will take care of your submission. So don't be nervous and let me handle it. Warmly Jacob (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)"

"Suze Robertson, is a woman-painter, of people with a heavy and tragic emphasis; of still life, where we find the same tragic mood; of cityscape, which attracts me less, of landscape with animals etc. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)"