Ould Vince and the painting of the Cafe

Ould Vince and the painting of the Café

I remember, back in the late 1800’s, when my ould pal Vince, some people called him Billy, Willem was his second name, and I used to club around together. Ould Vince was a bit dotty quite a character, full of strange ideas always liked to take the mick out of associates. Born in the Netherlands he worked for some time in Paris, always had a way with the pencil, and got a job with an art dealer in London. I was staying at lodgings in London and boy did we have some nights out. Quite a lad was old Vince with his beard and cute accent he was a wow with the girls. I was doing a line with the landlady’s daughter Eugenie Loyer. One summer we went on a trip to some of Vince’s old haunts in France. I was with Eugenie. Vince had teamed off with a French girl, I forget her name. Anyway touring around France in 1888 Vince started painting some pretty weird pictures, one of a bowl of sunflowers, another of his chair. We met a guy called Gauguin and Vince insisted on painting an armchair Gauguin had sat on. What a waste of time I thought. Never make any money on them. Landscapes like that English guy Constable did were the pictures making the money.

One place Eugeine loved was the ‘Café terrace at the Place du Forum’ in Aries. We sat out on the star lit evenings in the warm summer air. They were great times.

 Shortly after returning to the cold and smoke filled air of London, Vince, out of the blue mind you,  presented Eugeine with a painting of the café and professed his love for her. He couldn’t live without her.  I was aghast, my good friend Vince going behind my back. We parted with some strong words. Eugenie and I got married. Ould Vince went and got religion.

We have a couple of Vince’s paintings in the cellar the sunflowers one and that stupid one of his chair. Wonder if they would be worth anything?

David R McCabe  10/10/12