1. The Englishman
James Staats Forbes, a long-time resident of The Hague, collected paintings made by artists of the Barbizon School and the Hague School. Van Gogh was undoubtedly referring to the catalogue
James S. Forbes, London (Christie’s), 23 May 1874, compiled when Forbes had c. 150 works from his country estate – including ten paintings by Israëls – put up for auction. See exhib. cat. Paris 1983, pp. 125-126; Sillevis 1988, p. 144; and Dekkers 1994, esp. pp. 139-140, 357.