1. At this time Theo was assisting the seriously ill Frans Braat, who worked for Goupil (FR b2962. Letter from Pieter Kornelis Braat to Theo van Gogh, 13 April 1884). Theo and Frans were in lodgings together in 1878 (see letter 144, n. 29).

2. Van Gogh may be alluding here to the dragging on of the relationship between the husband and wife in Thérèse Raquin, who want to leave each other but nevertheless do not do it: ‘And they stayed out of cowardice and dragged wretchedly on in the horror of their existence.’ (Et ils restaient par lâcheté, ils restaient et se traînaient misérablement dans l’horreur de leur existence.) See Zola 1966-1970, vol. 1, p. 653 (chapter 30).

3. It is not possible to be sure exactly which painted study of a weaver this is. Nine are known, including the following three from this period: Weaver (F 26 / JH 450 ), Weaver (F 162 / JH 457 ), and Weaver and a spinning wheel (F 29 / JH 471 ).