1. Van Gogh had previously had credit at the baker’s; see letter 563.
2. Van Gogh had officially enrolled for the Classical Statues evening class taught by François Vinck, where shaded drawings were made after plaster torsos, limbs and complete casts of classical statues. See cat. Amsterdam 2001, pp. 13-15.
3. On the torso of a woman (F1693h / JH 1002 and F 1693i / JH 1003): letter 563, n. 4.
[643]
4. Little is known about Cormon’s admission procedure. A recommendation (from a painter) was sometimes enough for someone to be accepted, but it was not essential. See Gauzi 1992, pp. 16-17, Galbally 1977, p. 29, and Destremau 1997.
5. See for Bracquemond’s Du dessin et de la couleur: letter 531, n. 2.
a. Read: ‘geleden zal zijn’ (will be over).
6. In the novel La dame aux camélias (1848) by Alexandre Dumas fils, the courtesan Marguerite Gautier is reformed by the love of Armand Duval, who comes from a good family. The plot culminates in a love tragedy.
7. See for the people who lived downstairs from Van Gogh in Beeldekensstraat: letter 544, n. 1.
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