2. This admonition notwithstanding, Theo, who must have written about his expectations for modern art, had a better view in Paris of the latest state of affairs. Not only would he have known how much trade a dealer like Durand-Ruel was now doing in the Impressionists, but he would also have seen several exhibitions of modern art since arriving in Paris in November 1879. Since he had been in Paris there had been three Impressionist exhibitions (in 1880, 1881 and 1882) and in the offices of La Vie Moderne work had been shown by among others Manet, Monet, Redon and Sisley. Cf. Monneret 1978-1981, vol. 4, pp. 319-322.

3. Dorn links this view to Victor Hugo’s ideas about genius in William Shakespeare. See Hugo 1864, pp. 233-234 and exhib. cat. Vienna 1996, pp. 33, 48 (n. 12). Cf. also letter 450.

4. For this reference to Herkomer, see letter 278, n. 3.

5. For this expression, see letter 234, n. 4.

a. Probably should be read as ‘spijt’ or ‘droefheid’ (regret, or sorrow). Cf. letter 211 for almost the same phrase.

7. In 1832-1833 Honoré Daumier made various caricature portraits of politicians for La caricature politique, morale et littéraire, and in 1833 more cartoons of representatives appeared in Le Charivari, among them Podenas (‘Pot-de-naz’). Ill. 1996

. Cf. in this connection the series of 36 satirical, polychromed busts done in unfired clay called Les célébrités du Juste Milieu, also from the 1830s (Paris, Musée d’Orsay), of which lithographs exist. In 1848-1849 Daumier did designs for the series Les représentants représentés. See Delteil 1906-1930, vol. 20, nos. 40-75, 147-178; vol. 25, nos. 1796-1903.

There are several versions of Daumier’s The third-class carriage; see Maison 1968, vol. 1, pp. 141-143, cat. nos. I-165 and I-166. In 1888 and 1890 Theo was to sell two works with this subject (GRI, Goupil Ledgers). Theo had probably seen the version now in the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (Ill. 58

), which was sold at auction in Paris on May 8, 1882 (no. 7). The version in the Metropolitan Museum was in a private collection by 1878 and is not known to have been seen publicly until purchased by Durand-Ruel in 1892. See cat. Daumier 1808–1879 (National Gallery of Canada, 1999), no. 270 and http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/436095.

By La Révolution Van Gogh probably means Scène de la Révolution (Scene from the Revolution), 1848-1849 (now lost). Ill. 1997

. See Maison 1968, vol. 1, pp. 65-66, cat. no. I-26.

8. The passage in Theo’s letter to which Vincent is referring here will be quoted in letter 289: ‘I’ve spoken to Buhot, who knows of a certain way of lithographing, of which more later, you ought to try something on paper that he’ll send you’. From this it is clear that it was at Theo’s instigation that Vincent began to make lithographs himself. On Van Gogh’s graphic activities: Van Heugten and Pabst 1995.

Theo knew Félix Hilaire Buhot because he made engravings for Boussod, Valadon & Cie. Buhot frequently experimented with paper and materials. See exhib. cat. Paris 1988, p. 353; and exhib. cat. Minneapolis 1983, pp. 40-52.

Little is known about Buhot’s links to La Vie Moderne, the illustrated Parisian weekly for literature and art that began publication in 1879. Van Gogh’s phrasing suggests that either through his own contributions or from others Buhot knew of a special type of paper on which the illustrations for the magazine were made. In letter 290 the arrival of a sample is mentioned.

9. Van Gogh means: not reversed, as inevitably happened with the traditional lithographic technique. For the process in question, see Van Heugten and Pabst 1995, pp. 14-15.

10. The headquarters of Goupil (later Boussod, Valadon & Cie) was at 9 rue Chaptal in Paris.

11. The Dutch branch of Goupil (later Boussod, Valadon & Cie), where H.G. Tersteeg was in charge, had moved in 1875 from Plaats 14 to Plaats 20 in The Hague.

12. Jozef Blok; cf. letter 199, n. 7. The drawing is Jozef Blok, the bookseller (F 993 / JH 254

13. The Municipal Gasworks in Loosduinseweg, which Van Gogh had drawn: Gasworks (F 924 / JH 118

), see letter 210, n. 8.

14. A daalder is 1.50 guilders.

15. How Van Gogh came by this information is not known. In letter 215 he says the same.

16. A paraphrase of a passage from The life of Charles Dickens in which John Forster presents Dickens’s views on English and French painting. According to Dickens, the English artists lack ‘character, fire, purpose, and the power of using the vehicle and the model as mere means to an end.’ Dickens praises the French paintings for ‘the fearlessness of them; the bold drawing; the dashing conception; the passion and action in them!’, whereas in his view in English art ‘mere form and conventionalities’ take the place of ‘living force and truth’. In the immediate context of this passage, Forster also brings up Ary Scheffer in connection with his portrait of Dickens. See Forster 1872-1874, vol. 3, pp. 123-127 (quotations on 123-124).

17. For Gustave Brion, The end of the flood

, see letter 55, n. 7.

18. It is possible that Van Gogh wrote ‘kon’ (could) instead of ‘kan’ (can).

19. The series of woodcuts that Van Gogh saw at his Uncle Cor’s (‘C.M.’) was Les douze mois de l’année (The twelve months of the year) engraved by Adrien Lavieille after Charles Emile Jacque. It appeared each month in 1852 in L’Illustration 19, pp. 5, 89, 149, 213, 281, 373; L’Illustration 20, pp. 9, 89, 149, 213, 293, 357. Ill. 995

, 1998

, Ill. 1999

, Ill. 2000

, Ill. 2001

, Ill. 2002

, Ill. 2003

, Ill. 2004

, Ill. 2005

, Ill. 2006

, Ill. 2007

and 2008

. The series was reissued in 1853 and in 1859 by A. Lévy fils under the title Album de sujets rustiques. See Fanica 1995, pp. 41-42.

20. At that time Hampstead was still outside London (to the north-west) and was known for its rural setting. The Heath is 800 acres of open ground with a hill offering a fine view of the city; it was a favourite destination for day trips. Forster writes about Dickens’s enthusiasm for walking on Hampstead Heath and the tasty food at ‘Jack Straw’s’ pub; the specifying of bacon and eggs and of what was discussed are additions by Van Gogh. See Forster 1872-1874, vol. 1, pp. 112, 184 and vol. 2, pp. 77-78.

21. Women miners (F 994 / JH 253

22. These studies, which are also mentioned in letter 276, are not known.

23. These three studies of heads are not known.

24. Jean-François Millet’s The gleaners, 1857 (Paris, Musée d'Orsay). Ill. 1891

. This was published as an engraving and photogravure in the Musée Goupil series: Les glaneuses (NB 90.I.2.2275 and 95.I.2.611); an aquatint by Alphonse Masson, titled Gleaning in Belgium, appeared in The Art Journal 14 (NS, 1875), facing p. 188. Millet himself made an etching of the work. See exhib. cat. Boston 1984, pp. 102-103, cat. no. 68.