1. This scratch after a study of a so-called ‘turf hut’ and the study itself are not known.

2. Jules Dupré, Evening (The Hague, Mesdag Museum). Ill. 83 . Van Gogh had seen this painting in the summer of 1882 under de title Avondstond at the exhibition in the Haagse Academie (see letter 246).

3. Van Gogh may have been thinking here of the ‘Irish sketches’ by William Small and Richard Caton Woodville (II); cf. letter 304, n. 42; and 275, n. 50. In the estate there is also the anonymous print Irish sketches; Bog village, County Roscommon, which depicts a few huts, taken from The Illustrated London News 76 (15 May 1880), p. 476 (t*543).

4. See for this towpath to the south of The Hague: letter 11, n. 15.

5. See for Rousseau’s Oven in Les Landes : letter 139, n. 9.

6. Meppel lies to the west, Dedemsvaart to the south, Coevorden to the south-east and Hollandscheveld just to the south of Hoogeveen.

7. The hamlets of Stuifzand and Zwartschaap lie directly north-east of Hoogeveen. Van Gogh probably used the spelling ‘Stuufzand’ because of the way the local people pronounced the name.

a. Means: ‘werd er maar voor hen zorg gedragen’ (if only they were looked after).