1. Probably a reproduction of Léon Augustin Lhermitte’s La moisson (The harvest), 1874 (Carcassonne, Musée des Beaux-Arts). Ill. 2095 . See Le Pelley Fonteny 1991, p. 90, cat. no. 6.

2. See for Lhermitte, The grandmother : letter 333, n. 1.

3. See for Lhermitte, The inn : see letter 467, n. 7.

4. See for The harvest by Lhermitte: letter 343, n. 5.

5. Léon Augustin Lhermitte’s Les bûcherons (The woodcutters), engraved by Clément Edouard Bellenger, is the month of February in the series ‘Les mois rustiques’, Le Monde Illustré 29 (28 February 1885), Supplement to no. 1457. Ill. 216 .

6. On ‘Les mois rustiques’ (Rural months): Le Pelley Fonteny 1991, p. 36. See for the prints for the months of March and April: letter 496; for May (published in June): letter 506; for July and August: letter 531; for September: letter 533; for October and November: letter 545.

7. Vincent had rejected Theo’s previous proposal – in March 1884 – to submit work to the de Salon. See letter 436.

8. It is not certain whether Vincent actually carried out his intention (we know of no confirmation and in letter 485 he writes ‘I have a few of the heads I promised you ready, but not completely dry yet ... so as soon as they’re completely dry and I can varnish them, I’ll send you a few heads’). See for the works that Theo took with him later in the month: letter 489, n. 4.

9. Van Gogh is referring to the charming, slickly painted portraits by Gustave Jaquet (cf. letter 515).

10. Jan Maria Constantijn van Beers painted many portraits of wealthy Frenchwomen, of the type Van Gogh is talking about here.

11. Van Gogh added ‘or to think about’ (om te ... denken) later.

12. There are four paintings of peasant men and women at work dating from this period in which shadows like these can be seen: Woman peeling potatoes (F 145 / JH 653), Woman sewing ( F 126a / JH 655), Woman sweeping the floor (F 152 / JH 656) and Man making a basket (F 171 / JH 658).