2. Charles François Jalabert, Christ walking on the waves. The price mentioned means that Vincent must be referring to the reproduction Le Christ marchant sur la mer in the series ‘Album de Photographies’ (17 x 25 cm.), which cost 6 francs (Bordeaux, Musée Goupil). Ill. 1845

3. For Rembrandt’s Pilgrims at Emmaus

, see letter 42, n. 9.

4. It is possible that Van Gogh wrote ‘weer’ instead of ‘zeer’.

5. The intended passage is Acts 4:11-12; the mistake could have been caused by mistaking the Bible’s place reference (the letter ‘a’) for a verse reference.

6. In 1877, Jeremias Posthumus Meijjes and his wife had seven children (five sons and two daughters): Christiaan Bernard, Reinier, Willem, Leonard, Guliana Cornelia, Egbert Johannes Wernhardt and Catharina.

7. Biblical; see, for example, 1 Kings 10:27, 1 Chron. 27:28, 2 Chron. 1:15, 2 Chron. 9:27, Ps. 78:47 and Isa. 9:9.

8. The Mount of Olives, as told of in the four Gospels.

9. Cf. Matt. 3:8 and Luke 3:8.

11. Zaccheus was the ‘chief among the publicans’; see Luke 19:2-8.

12. Jeremias Posthumus Meijjes lived with his family at Prinsengracht 851.

13. Reinier Posthumus Meijjes lived at Prinsengracht 1003.

14. On 26 August, J.P. Stricker preached at 10 a.m. in the Eilandskerk.

17. Anna would marry one year later, on 22 August 1878.

18. Theo undertook the sales trips for Goupil, to present the new editions (nouveautés) to potential customers (see l. 78).

19. The ‘ram monitor’ Draak (Dragon) first class – an ironclad vessel with very low freeboard, used in naval warfare – was laid down on 15 November 1875 at the Rijkswerf and launched on 22 August 1877 at 13.30 (The Hague, Collectie Instiuut voor Maritieme Historie, Marinestaf). Ill. 1846

. The launch was reported in the ‘Stadsnieuws’ in the evening edition of the Amsterdamsche Courant of Wednesday, 22 August.

21. Cf. Ps. 138:8 and Rev. 17:17.

24. For this expression, see letter 108, n. 24.

28. Cf. the French saying ‘Fais ce que tu fais’ and the Latin ‘Age quod agis’.

29. Cf. John 6:28-29.

30. Cf. the Dutch expression ‘Oefening baart kunst’ (practice creates art).

31. Taken from Boileau; see letter 127, n. 19.

32. Taken from La Fontaine, see letter 127, n. 20.

33. For Dinah Mulock Craik, A life for a life and John Halifax, gentleman, see letter 88, n. 18.

35. Jet Mauve-Carbentus, Anton Mauve’s wife.

36. Theo presumably stood by the Tersteeg family during the period of mourning following the death of their daughter Marie on 24 July 1877. See letter 125.

37. Jacobus Lips died on Tuesday, 14 August and was buried on Thursday, 16 August (FR b2551).

38. For Van der Maaten, The funeral in the cornfield , see letter 36, n. 2. Van Gogh gave an impression of the lithograph to his teacher M.B. Mendes da Costa in 1877 or 1878. He copied out biblical texts, some of them in Latin, and quotations from Longfellow (cf. RM3, n.1) in the margins. Ill. 1912

(Amsterdam, Universiteitsbibliotheek, Ms. XIII C 13 a). See Kōdera in exhib. cat. Osaka 1986, pp. 87-88.