1. An exhibition of 61 works by Jean-François Raffaëlli was held between 27 May and 21 June at Boussod, Valadon & Cie. See exhib. cat. Paris 1890-3.

a. Read: ‘continue à te plaire’.

2. This refers to the café-restaurant run since 1867 by Emmanuel Siron in Barbizon; most of their guests were painters. Siron called it the ‘Hôtel de l’exposition’, because there were always paintings on display. The establishment is now the Hôtellerie du Bas-Bréau, 22 Grande rue. ‘Mère Siron’ must refer to Emmanuel’s wife. See L’Ecole de Barbizon. Peindre en plein air avant l’impressionnisme. Vincent Pomarède and Gérard de Wallens. Exhib. cat. Lyon (Musée des Beaux-Arts), 2002. Paris 2002, p. 112.

3. Probably the art dealer Pierre Firmin Martin, who was an acquaintance of Theo (cf. letters 592 and 718).

4. The ‘grande route’ was rue de Pontoise in Auvers. The inn Theo talks about could be either Auberge Saint-Aubin in rue de Pontoise (see letter 873, n. 1) or Café-Auberge Chez Colignon in rue Rémy, which leads to rue de Pontoise.

b. Read: ‘je suis bien tenté par’.

5. Theo wrote to Willemien about this plan that same day, and also told her about seeing Vincent upon his return from Saint-Rémy: ‘Oh Wil, you would be as happy as we were to see Vincent back like he is. He has never looked as healthy as he does now, and he also talks quite normally. Still, he feels that the attacks could come back, and is afraid of that. It seems that it takes him unawares and that nothing can be done about it, at least in St Remy, but rest’ (FR b931).

6. Saint-Cloud, about 9 km west of Paris. One of its attractions was its seventeenth-century park. The excursion took place on Whit Sunday, i.e. 25 May (see letter 880).

7. This letter from Peyron to Theo is not known.