Letter from Frances Hodgkins to Rachel Hodgkins
Date
15 Oct 1910
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Date
15 Oct 1910
Transcript
Grand Hotel Des Voyageurs B. Joyeau, Proprietaire Concarneau Telephone 13
My Dearest Mother
Let me tell you it is not at all warm here. It is very cold indeed – but brisk & healthy – much healthier than the summer. The wind blows keen & salt & I am feeling a lot fitter thanin the hot weather. It has been raining in bucketfuls & the full moon has brought the waters all but up to the doors. The boats in the little port are all but on the doormat. It has been a week of excitement for me – each post has brought me in some good news from Paris about my pictures – flattering press notices – kind letters – requests for lessons etc & I am feeling a little happier than usual. I enclosed for your edification M. Guillemots kind letter – translation on t’other side for those of the family who don’t know French. Girlie of course is a scholar & will read it off easily. It’s nice isn’t it dear? Arent you willing I should stay & follow it up? Don’t you want me to find myself permanently & definitely in an established niche in the Art World. I wish you were as terribly ambitious for me as I am for myself. It wld help a lot dear – Mothers are generally the most unselfish & self denying angels – you are & have always been so to me & I hate to ask yo to stretch your generosity a point further & say Stay a little longer & do what you can. I see & feel deeply yr point of view as well as my own – you know that & it is no use going into it again. I feel that Father’s heritage to me should work out its true fulfilment. I have a long way to travel yet but I am further on the way each year & who knows when I may find myself – there! You know what I wish to do – I have told you so before - & it may be a matter of “very few months as Owen Merton says before I get the recognition I am working for. Then - & not till then do I think it is good policy to leave this side of the world. The R.W.S. electrions are only annual - in Jan. It is not an easy Society to get into – in fact very difficult – one is elected on ones merits - & it is not a case of paying a big sub: & becoming a member as most of the other Societies. It is the blue Ribband for Water Colourists. And I don’t care to be anything short of this. I am not leading a self indulgent life at all – I work fiercely – the economies I practice might surprise you. I am glad there is one member of the family who is well dressed & hatted & booted & spurred & most awfully glad I am to hear that Sis is so gay & popular & dashing. Hasn’t she always had the Grande manner? What a real genius to give a party for 300 souls! Ye gods – I tremble at the thought of such a thing. But I have always been a scared owl where Society is concerned I am only happy when I am with artists – with a smudge of paint on my nose & my palette on my thumb. I fear no man when I am on my own ground – but dress me up & take me out calling I jibber with fear.
It is bad news to hear of dear Miss Richmond working so hard & Mrs Atkinson so delicate. We are born to trouble. Did she do well with her picture? I had a nice letter from brother Willie last week – so warmhearted & cheering. He does turn his days to good account doesn’t he! Dear man I do hope he will get a good snug billet for his pains. He deserves reward & success. And Bert is sporting a tall hat. La La! You are putting on a lot of side! You people! My friends just slouch around. I don’t remember if I told you I have now moved over to the Hotel – where I have a Studio – I am the only woman artist left in Concarneau. There are plenty of wives here with their husbands – some pleasant people – mostly quite young. A lost of men are turning up for the winter & settling into their studios. As I said in my last letter – I’ll try & be good – if I can’t be good I’ll be careful – can’t promise more!
I would send on the press notices but they are in French. I will only give you my word for it they say I am a deuced clever woman or words to that effect. It has been a tempestuous week. I go for walks by the sad sea walls – when it is too dark to paint. They are never sad for me I love them so & the gulls & the big sky overhead. Its grey moments are too big to allow for sadness really.
You have heard of the big railway strike – happily over – that we have been having these last few weeks. No mails came in or went out – we were beleaguered – cut off from the world – Land’s End – Finistere – indeed! We shuddered to think of a possible revolution. The French Gov: has the power to mobilise for service every man in France – alors! The strikers were ordered to mobilise! Some refused – if this had been general it wld have mean revolution. And where would I have come in do you think? And a few other timid people. But luckily there was a firm man at the head of affairs & the Strike fell through absolutely after a bad moment of real paralysis throughout the country.
I must finish quickly dear little darling Mother. Goodness knows how long this may take on its way to Paris en route to you. French posts are always a little queer. Heaps of love to you & for Heavens sake don’t get influenza again. The summer cometh on with you & goeth off with me – next Autumn may find us together againin a wee housie. Don’t give up hope of seeing me Your loving Frances
My Dearest Mother
Let me tell you it is not at all warm here. It is very cold indeed – but brisk & healthy – much healthier than the summer. The wind blows keen & salt & I am feeling a lot fitter thanin the hot weather. It has been raining in bucketfuls & the full moon has brought the waters all but up to the doors. The boats in the little port are all but on the doormat. It has been a week of excitement for me – each post has brought me in some good news from Paris about my pictures – flattering press notices – kind letters – requests for lessons etc & I am feeling a little happier than usual. I enclosed for your edification M. Guillemots kind letter – translation on t’other side for those of the family who don’t know French. Girlie of course is a scholar & will read it off easily. It’s nice isn’t it dear? Arent you willing I should stay & follow it up? Don’t you want me to find myself permanently & definitely in an established niche in the Art World. I wish you were as terribly ambitious for me as I am for myself. It wld help a lot dear – Mothers are generally the most unselfish & self denying angels – you are & have always been so to me & I hate to ask yo to stretch your generosity a point further & say Stay a little longer & do what you can. I see & feel deeply yr point of view as well as my own – you know that & it is no use going into it again. I feel that Father’s heritage to me should work out its true fulfilment. I have a long way to travel yet but I am further on the way each year & who knows when I may find myself – there! You know what I wish to do – I have told you so before - & it may be a matter of “very few months as Owen Merton says before I get the recognition I am working for. Then - & not till then do I think it is good policy to leave this side of the world. The R.W.S. electrions are only annual - in Jan. It is not an easy Society to get into – in fact very difficult – one is elected on ones merits - & it is not a case of paying a big sub: & becoming a member as most of the other Societies. It is the blue Ribband for Water Colourists. And I don’t care to be anything short of this. I am not leading a self indulgent life at all – I work fiercely – the economies I practice might surprise you. I am glad there is one member of the family who is well dressed & hatted & booted & spurred & most awfully glad I am to hear that Sis is so gay & popular & dashing. Hasn’t she always had the Grande manner? What a real genius to give a party for 300 souls! Ye gods – I tremble at the thought of such a thing. But I have always been a scared owl where Society is concerned I am only happy when I am with artists – with a smudge of paint on my nose & my palette on my thumb. I fear no man when I am on my own ground – but dress me up & take me out calling I jibber with fear.
It is bad news to hear of dear Miss Richmond working so hard & Mrs Atkinson so delicate. We are born to trouble. Did she do well with her picture? I had a nice letter from brother Willie last week – so warmhearted & cheering. He does turn his days to good account doesn’t he! Dear man I do hope he will get a good snug billet for his pains. He deserves reward & success. And Bert is sporting a tall hat. La La! You are putting on a lot of side! You people! My friends just slouch around. I don’t remember if I told you I have now moved over to the Hotel – where I have a Studio – I am the only woman artist left in Concarneau. There are plenty of wives here with their husbands – some pleasant people – mostly quite young. A lost of men are turning up for the winter & settling into their studios. As I said in my last letter – I’ll try & be good – if I can’t be good I’ll be careful – can’t promise more!
I would send on the press notices but they are in French. I will only give you my word for it they say I am a deuced clever woman or words to that effect. It has been a tempestuous week. I go for walks by the sad sea walls – when it is too dark to paint. They are never sad for me I love them so & the gulls & the big sky overhead. Its grey moments are too big to allow for sadness really.
You have heard of the big railway strike – happily over – that we have been having these last few weeks. No mails came in or went out – we were beleaguered – cut off from the world – Land’s End – Finistere – indeed! We shuddered to think of a possible revolution. The French Gov: has the power to mobilise for service every man in France – alors! The strikers were ordered to mobilise! Some refused – if this had been general it wld have mean revolution. And where would I have come in do you think? And a few other timid people. But luckily there was a firm man at the head of affairs & the Strike fell through absolutely after a bad moment of real paralysis throughout the country.
I must finish quickly dear little darling Mother. Goodness knows how long this may take on its way to Paris en route to you. French posts are always a little queer. Heaps of love to you & for Heavens sake don’t get influenza again. The summer cometh on with you & goeth off with me – next Autumn may find us together againin a wee housie. Don’t give up hope of seeing me Your loving Frances
Pages
4 pages
Sender's address
Grand Hotel des Voyageurs, B. Joyeau, Proprietaire. Concarneau
Institutional No.
MS-Papers-0085-24
Credit Line
Letters
from
Frances
Hodgkin
to
Rachel
Hodgkins.
Field,
Isabel
Jane,
1867-1950
:
Correspondence
of
Frances
Hodgkins
and
family
/
collected
by
Isabel
Field.
Ref:
MS-Papers-0085-24.
Alexander
Turnbull
Library,
Wellington,
New
Zealand.
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22329492
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22329492