1. Poor health had forced Uncle Hein to retire from art dealing in 1872.

2. Cornelis (Cor) Marinus van Gogh, brother of Mr van Gogh and often called ‘C.M.’ by family members, had a bookshop and art gallery at Keizersgracht 453 in Amsterdam.

3. The Rijksmuseum was housed at the time in the so-called Trippenhuis at Kloveniersburgwal 29 in Amsterdam. The building’s accommodations and suitability were the object of much criticism. See Honderd jaar Rijksmuseum 1985.

4. It is not known which painting by Alfred Cluysenaar this refers to.

5. The following works by Cluysenaar were on display at the Brussels Salon which Van Gogh had visited in 1872: Mazeppa; Portraits de MM. Paul et Edmond R. (Mazeppa; Portraits of Messieurs Paul and Edmond R.) and a Portrait (Portrait). See exhib. cat. Brussels 1872, p. 30, cat. nos. 114-116.

6. Van Gogh underlined the Christian name of Alfred to distinguish him from his brother Joseph Stevens, who was also a painter.

7. Antonio Rotta was represented at Brussels by the painting Il ciabattino (The cobbler). Exhib. cat. Brussels 1872, p. 78, cat. no. 639. Three works bearing this title and depicting similar themes have been found, an example being At the cobbler’s, 1867 (present whereabouts unknown), sold at Christie’s (London) on 24 June 1988 (no. 43). Ill. 1295 .

8. In the summer of 1872, Van Gogh had visited the triennial salon, ‘Exposition générale des Beaux-Arts’ (General Exhibition of Fine Arts) at Brussels, which was held from 15 August to 15 October; see letter 13.

9. The way in which he asked about the album in letter 3 suggests that Van Gogh was referring to the album of lithographs by Emile Louis Vernier after work by Camille Corot. Apparently Theo had sent the title of an album containing work by Corot.

10. Anna Cornelia van Gogh, Van Gogh’s eldest sister, was attending boarding school in Leeuwarden in the north of the Netherlands.

11. Mr van Gogh would turn 51 on 8 February.

12. Uncle Hein and Aunt Mietje in Brussels.

13. Edouard Hamman.

14. Sophia (Fie) Cornelia Elisabeth Carbentus-Van Bemmel, wife of Arie Carbentus, brother of Mrs van Gogh.