2. Van Gogh undoubtedly took this saying from the painting by Jules-Joseph Dauban, The reception of a stranger among the Trappist monks , which he had seen in the Musée du Luxembourg. See letter 55, n. 19 and cf. Prov 16:9. The French expression Van Gogh uses occurred in a sermon delivered by François de Salignac de la Mothe Fénélon in 1685.

3. For the painting Portrait of a lady

, see letter 14, n. 19.

4. The quotation alludes to a sentence in ‘Les aspirations de l’automne’ (The longing for autumn) in Jules Michelet, L’amour (part 5, chapter 5): ‘Cette femme m’est restée trente années, me revenant obstinément, m’inquiétant’ (see Michelet, L’amour, p. 389).

5. Charles-François Daubigny, Le buisson (The bush), etching (after Jacob van Ruisdael) of 1855. Ill. 1717

. In letter 156, Van Gogh says that the print was sold in the department of Chalcographie at the Louvre. Cf. Henriet 1875, pp. 124-125, no. 73.

6. There are two lithographs after Camille Corot with Soleil couchant (Sunset) in the title. It cannot be said with certainty which one Van Gogh is referring to here. A lithograph of Le batelier à la rive (Soleil couchant) (Boatman on the shore (sunset)), 1845-1850 (in reverse) was published by Louis-François Français in Les artistes anciens et modernes. A lithograph of Le petit berger (The little shepherd) (titled Landscape, sunset at the Salon of 1840, no. 308) was published by Louis-François Français in L’Artiste of 1840. See Robaut 1965, vol. 2, pp. 216-217, no. 615; and p. 138, no. 374.

7. Van Gogh could be referring to the lithograph Forêt de Fontainebleau (Forest of Fontainebleau) by Eugène Le Roux after the painting by Bodmer (Paris, BNF, Cabinet des Estampes). Ill. 1718

This print is also to be found in Theo’s scrapbook (Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, t*1488, 141). As regards the painting Fontainebleau in autumn

, see letter 55, n. 11.

8. Van Gogh’s wording is ambiguous: he could be referring either to two etchings by or after Charles Emile Jacque. In Theo’s scrapbook, however, there are at least nine etchings by Charles Emile Jacque, which possibly include the two mentioned here (Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, t*1487). Goupil had published Jacque’s etching La maréchalerie (The smithy) in Lièvre, Musée Universel 1868-1869.

9. On 9 June 1875, Mr van Gogh wrote to Theo: ‘Yesterday evening (but this in strictest confidence) we had a strange letter from Vincent. It worries us somewhat, if only the heat and over-exertion haven’t over-excited him.

I send it herewith, but send it back to me directly. We’ll try quietly to arrange for him to get his holidays a little earlier. I fear overstrain. My dear Theo, this to you alone – as our confidant – if anything occurs to you that could be of help, write to us confidentially. I believe in a sickly condition, whether of body or mind. We are concerned but believe in God’s direction and guidance and will be strengthened by it, if it must be so’ (FR b2341). Mrs van Gogh also expressed her concern (FR b2342).