1. This was letter 807.

2. For this order, see letter 806.

3. Theo had sent this 10-francs postal order shortly before 29 July; see letter 793.

4. Van Gogh’s visit to Arles had taken place shortly before 14 July (see letter 789).

5. Mulberry tree (F 637 / JH 1796 ).

6. Van Gogh is referring to the third consignment of paintings from Saint-Rémy; see letter 806.

7. For Isaäcson’s plans to write an article about Van Gogh, see letter 807. It can no longer be ascertained whether there was any connection between Isaäcson’s efforts to publish a piece on Van Gogh and the financial support Theo was giving him at this time: what is certain is that Isaäcson received a total of 345 francs from Theo between June and October 1889. See Account book 2002, pp. 56-63, 152-153.

8. Vincent is referring to Charles Eugène Prévost; Theo owned one of his paintings: Lady with a dog ; see letter 658, n. 9. Nothing is known about his mistress.

9. Pissarro had promised to approach Dr Paul Gachet in Auvers-sur-Oise (see letter 807). At the end of March 1890, Theo met Gachet, who agreed to treat Vincent. Vincent finally left the asylum on 16 May, and after spending a few days in Paris, arrived on 20 May to take up residence at the Auberge Ravoux in Auvers.

10. Poplars in the mountains (F 638 / JH 1797 ).

11. This work is presumably different from the two views of the garden and the asylum that Van Gogh mentions in letter 810. Perhaps it is Trees in the garden of the asylum (F 640 / JH 1800), which can be said to have a certain draughtsman-like quality.

12. By ‘Greek studies’ Van Gogh means studies after plaster casts. In Paris he had painted a series of such studies in the colours named here; see cat. Amsterdam 2011. Cf. letter 839, in which he says he would ‘draw Greek casts again’.

13. The almoner of the asylum was E. de Tamisier. The portrait (by an anonymous painter) was of his mother, Madame Armand de Tamisier, née Elisabeth Lazau-Audibert (present whereabouts unknown; photograph Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Archives Vincent van Gogh Foundation). Ill. 2294 . In 1960 it was still present in the asylum of Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, according to a letter from Edgar Leroy (Archives communales de Saint-Rémy. E.32. D. fol. 62).