1. In response to Vincent’s previous letter (750), Theo must have gone into the issue of what should happen when Vincent was released from hospital. He, too, undoubtedly thought that moving to a different part of town was the best option.

2. Between the various attacks of his illness, Van Gogh painted the following canvases in any case: Still life with onions and Annuaire de la santé (F 604 / JH 1656 ), Self-portrait with bandaged ear (F 527 / JH 1657 ), Self-portrait with bandaged ear and pipe (F 529 / JH 1658 ), Félix Rey (F 500 / JH 1659 ), Blue gloves and a basket of oranges and lemons (F 502 / JH 1664 ), Sunflowers in a vase (F 455 / JH 1668 ), Sunflowers in a vase (F 458 / JH 1667 ) and three versions of Augustine Roulin (‘La berceuse’) (F 505 / JH 1669 , F 506 / JH 1670 and F 507 / JH 1672 ). He had also finished Gauguin’s chair (F 499 / JH 1636 ), Van Gogh’s chair (F 498 / JH 1635 ) and Augustine Roulin (‘La berceuse’) (F 508 / JH 1671 ). It is possible that in this period he also painted the three portraits of Joseph Roulin F 435 / JH 1674, F 436 / JH 1675 and F 439 / JH 1673; they definitely originated in the spring of 1889, but it is not known exactly when. For these portraits Van Gogh took as his example the large Joseph Roulin (F 432 / JH 1522 ). Cf. Hulsker 1993-2, pp. 227-230.

3. Regarding Signac’s visit, see letter 752.

4. Van Gogh later added ‘ou de tirer ... tout cela’ (or having ... all that).

5. In March-April 1888 Van Gogh had made a series of paintings of orchards in blossom; see letter 600, n. 7.

6. Van Gogh is referring to the article ‘Les décadents’ by Adrien Frissant, which had been published in instalments in Le Forum Républicain of 3, 10 and 24 February and 3 March 1888. Frissant ridicules the basic principles, use of language and the conduct of the ‘Ecole décadente’, attacking in particular the incomprehensibility of symbolist poetry. In the last instalment he quotes the poet René Ghil, who had written in his foreword to his Légendes d’âmes et de sang not to seek words ‘which narrate’ but rather words ‘which impress’. Frissant therefore speaks of ‘the “Impressionist” language’ to which Van Gogh refers.