2. After this sentence Van Gogh crossed out: ‘I would live on bread and coffee and nothing else for three years, Theo, if Pa had not been so pretentious’.

3. The ‘composition’ is the drawing Peat diggers in the dunes (F 1031 / JH 363

); the ‘croquis’ after it is the letter sketch in letter 347.

4. Van Gogh added the sentence ‘So there’s... the first time’ later.

5. This drawing of workmen, on yellow paper according to l. 121, is not known. Some idea of it can be obtained from the sketch enclosed with this letter and a second sketch after the same drawing, The sandpit at Dekkersduin near The Hague (F 1029 / JH 366

); cf. n. 8.

6. Theo had written about a scene with workmen on Montmartre in the beginning of September 1882; see letters 260 and 261.

7. For this visit to a sand quarry at Dekkersduin, near Scheveningen, see also letter 347. On this levelling of dunes: Visser 1973, pp. 111-115.

8. The enclosed sketch The sandpit at Dekkersduin near The Hague (F 1028 / JH 367).

9. Van Gogh had got the idea for this kind of frame from Van Rappard; see letter 346.

10. The reason for insisting on the continuation of the remittances becomes clear later in the letter (ll. 280-281): Theo must have asked whether, in view of his own financial difficulties, it would be possible to skip Vincent’s remittance for once.

a. Means: ‘is er vooruitgang in gekomen’ (progress has been made).

11. In the months January-April 1883 illustrations by George Boughton and Edwin Abbey had appeared in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine in the series ‘Artist strolls in Holland’. See Harper’s New Monthly Magazine 66: January 1883, pp. 164-180; February 1883, pp. 387-406; March 1883, pp. 520-539; and April 1883, pp. 683-705. See for illustrations letter 359, nn. 10 and 11. The series was to be continued from August 1884. Later, sketches were published separately under the title Sketching rambles in Holland. New York 1885. Cf. also letter 354.

b. Van Gogh wrote ‘dubbele bladzij van illustratie’ (double page illustration) and added the translation ‘double page engraving’ in parentheses.

c. Van Gogh wrote ‘de bladzijde’ and ‘de halve bladzij’ and added the translation ‘whole page’ and ‘half page’ in parentheses.

12. The Nederlands Hervormd Oude-mannen-en-vrouwenhuis, on Z. Buitensingel 1, where Van Gogh’s favourite model Adrianus Zuyderland lived.

d. Means: ‘uitgaven’ (outgoings).

e. Means: ‘liggen’ (lie).

13. Sien’s brother, Carolus Ernestus Jacobus Hoornik, married Johanna Elisabeth Angenita Rombouts on 26 April 1882. Their marriage was annulled in 1884.