In November of 1888, while living in the Yellow House with Gauguin, Van Gogh created a portrait of Madame Ginoux which she must have found satisfactory. A month later, Van Gogh painted a portrait of Monsieur Joseph-Michel Ginoux. Paul Gauguin also created a portrait of Monsieur Ginoux.
Van Gogh clearly held fond feelings for Madame and Monsieur Ginoux and considered them to be among his friends. In a letter to them at the end of December 1889 he wrote to Mr. Ginoux and his ill wife,
“I assure you that it will be hard for me to leave the South; I say this to all of you who have become my friends – my friends for a long time.
…
“So I write you this letter, my dear friends, in order to try and distract our dear patient for a moment, so that she may once again show us her habitual smile and give pleasure to all who know her. As I told you, within a fortnight I hope to visit you, wholly recovered.”
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Letter Source:
