Excerpt from Robert Pinnacle's letters to his wife,Isabel -
"... I regret that my sojourn in Plombières so far has had limited success... there seems to be a dearth of openings...one Louis Marais is very established here and I have met few with the imagination to bother with anything other, especially from a young unknown artist from abroad despite your connection with the Comte [possibly the Comte d'Enchevêtrement] who kindly did his best to furnish me with introduction to profitable circles of local society and illustrious visitors taking the waters and convince them that my painting was a good investment. It also rains a good deal but as you always tell me, one must remain optimistic...
...an extremely irksome meeting with the great Louis Marais who told me to 'tenir' [stick at it] as though he was imparting some precious gem of wisdom. The old fart spent some time studying the way I render clouds. Next he will be adopting my fashion of glazing in celestial hues - and because he is in the public eye so much I will be accused of copying him!...
...it is still raining but I have managed to complete 'Les Bains Romains de Plombières-les-Bains' for the retiring Monsieur Le Truc who wrote back offering to commission three paintings depicting his estate in the nearby countryside...
...went to the estate of Le Truc where I was hoping the man would condescend to meet me to pass favourable comment on the finished 'La Maison Rouge aux Vosges' and, more importantly, press a handsome fee into my palm.
I had a rather unnerving experience. I was met by a manservant who took the painting from me as though it was some excrement that it was his unfortunate duty to deal with. He then disappeared and I was left to kick my heels for half an hour wondering if I was to be sent away empty-handed (and suffering waking nightmares, envisioning my return home delayed and having to endure further the squalid, damp, grey rooms that were my lodgings these tedious weeks and it always raining).
Of such intensity were these notions that when the servant returned I sprang to my feet in a state of feverish agitation. He said, dismissively, merely that - Les travaux suffisent - and that I should - Allez à la porte dessous. I was somewhat taken aback, so immediately did as the fellow bid, descending outside and round to the barren courtyard. There, the door opened on my approach and a sly-faced cove in a working smock handed me a cloth pouch fat with coins. As I was checking the amount (correct you will be relieved to hear) the door shut abruptly and I was left standing alone in the yard. The house was completely silent. So was the estate, apart from a little bird which sang - I just don't believe it - tickets to Sicilia. The fee would be enough to take us all to Sicilia should we wish to go.
There seemed nothing to do but walk away, which I did with increasing briskness of step, my spirits ascending with the realisation that I had reached the point when I could return home, with pleasing news for both you and my preceptor, complete disaster and ruin avoided..."
Editor's note: The location of these early Pinnacles is unknown. They were last recorded by Mlle. Jeanne Canet, notaire's assistant, in the inventory of the contents of Maison Argenteux, Belfort in 1937.