Fishing boat on the beach

'There is a Mauve, the large picture of the fishing smack drawn up to the dunes; it is a masterpiece. I never heard a good sermon on resignation, nor can I imagine a good one, except that picture by Mauve and the work of Millet. That is the resignation - the real kind, not that of the clergymen. Those nags, those poor, ill-treated nags, black, white and brown ; they are standing there, patient, submissive, willing, resigned and quiet. They have still to draw the heavy boat up the last bit of the way - the job is almost finished. Stop a moment. They are panting, they are covered with sweat, but they do not murmur, they do not protest, they do not complain, not about anything. They got over that long ago, years and years ago. They are resigned to living and working somewhat longer, but if they have to go to the knacker tomorrow, well, so be it, they are ready' (letter no. 181). Between 1872 and 1882, the year in which Van Gogh wrote the above letter, Mauve painted a number of versions of the theme of horses taking a rest while hauling up a fishing boat. The work presented here is the one Van Gogh described.

Source: R. de Leeuw, J. Sillevis, Ch. Dumas (eds.), The Hague School: Dutch masters of the 19th century, The Hague 1983