1. The Galerie Contemporaine, Littéraire, Artistique, published by Goupil & Cie, appeared from 1876 in Paris. Each issue dealt with the life and work of one writer, painter or sculptor, and included a photograph of an art work or a facsimile of a manuscript. The issue on Frère contained a portrait and an article by Flor O’Squarr (the pseudonym of Oscar Charles Flor), ‘Édouard Frère, né a Paris en 1819’. The reverent biography stresses Frère’s perseverance in pursuing success and his choice of subject matter: domestic scenes, plain and simple. See Galerie Contemporaine, Littéraire, Artistique 1 (1876), 2nd series. Peintres & Sculpteurs (unpaginated).

2. Regarding the feast of St Nicholas, see letter 59, n. 1.

3. For Stieler, see letter 134, n. 6 and letter 135, notes 10-15.

4. The bookshop of Julius Lodewijk Willem Seyffardt at Damrak 99 specialized in atlases, guidebooks and maps. See Kruseman 1886, pp. 688-691 and Groot and De Vries 1990, pp. 75-76.

a. Read: ‘Allicht’ (of course, most likely).

5. Cf. Matt. 7:24; hymn 242:2 and hymn 243:2.

6. For J.B. Bossuet, Oraisons funèbres, see letter 85, n. 18.

7. 2 Cor. 12:10.

8. Numerous editions of Bossuet’s work were available, which makes it difficult to say which edition Uncle Cor gave Vincent; one of the editions containing the sermon on Paul is Les oraisons funèbres de Bossuet, suivies du sermon pour la profession de Mme de la Vallière, du panégyrique de St. Paul et du sermon de la vocation des gentils; avec des notices par Poujoulot. Gravures à l’eau-forte par V. Foulquier. Tours 1869.

9. It is not known which book by Claudius – who was popular in Protestant circles – Van Gogh is referring to here. Many editions – selected works as well as his complete oeuvre – were available in German. If Van Gogh had in fact been given a Dutch edition, one possibility is Matthias Claudius, De Wandsbecker bode. Prose. Translated from the German by I.C. van Deventer. 2 vols. Haarlem 1853. A less comprehensive but more deluxe edition is Gedachten van Matthias Claudius. Compiled from his works by J. Immerzeel Jr. Amsterdam 1836.

10. Gal. 3:28. Van Gogh undoubtedly chose this text because of the Jewish descent of Mendes da Costa, who said of Van Gogh in his recollections: ‘From those days [meaning when Van Gogh was employed in the art trade] he still had some prints, small lithographs after paintings and suchlike. Time and again he brought me one of them, but always completely spoiled by his having scribbled the margins completely full of quotations, which had something or other to do with the subject, from Thomas a Kempis and the Bible. Once he even gave me a copy of De imitatione Christi, but not at all with the unspoken objective of converting me; he only wanted to show me the human side of it.’ Originally appearing in Het Handelsblad of 2 December 1910; quoted from Verzamelde brieven 1973, vol. 1, p. 171.

11. A traditional confectionery eaten at the feast of St Nicholas, consisting of puff pastry with an almond-paste filling, baked in the shape of a letter.

12. J.P. Stricker conducted the 10 a.m. service in the Eilandskerk.

13. Ps. 36:10 (in KJ Ps. 36:9).

14. Hymn 243:2.

15. One of Jacob van Ruisdael’s paintings in which the Church of St Bavo features prominently is the View of Haarlem with bleaching grounds ; see letter 37, n. 3.

16. For Jean-François Millet, The church of Gréville , see letter 36, n. 9.

17. Luke 14:26.

18. In book iv, chapter 8 of De navolging van Christus, Thomas a Kempis quoted Luke 14:33: ‘he... that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple’. The sentence preceding the quotation says: ‘For this is why so few become enlightened and inwardly free, because they cannot manage perfect self-abnegation’ (Thomas a Kempis 1986, p. 143). See also the previously quoted passages from the end of book 1, chapter 2 in letter 135, notes 22-23.

19. Van Gogh probably got this idea from Thomas a Kempis, De navolging van Christus, book 1, chapter 18, in which the pious deeds of the holy fathers, who ‘hated their souls’ during their lifetimes, are contrasted with how little ordinary people generally accomplish.

20. 2 Cor. 5:14.

21. Jules Dupré, Les grands chênes (The large oaks), 1844 (present whereabouts unknown). Known from a lithograph by Louis-François Français, published in Les artistes anciens et modernes. Ill. 78 Louis Marvy also made an etching after it. See Aubrun 1974, p. 91, cat. no. 162.

22. Matt. 5:16.

23. Cf. Matt. 7:7 and Luke 11:9.

24. Regarding this expression, cf. letter 112, n. 17.

25. The article ‘Édouard Frère, né a Paris en 1819’ (see n. 1 above) tells how Frère tried in vain for six years to be admitted to the Salon: ‘Finally he won, and in 1848 he exhibited seven small canvases.’

26. This expression of Mr van Gogh, which Vincent quotes frequently, could have been derived from hymn 56:1 and hymn 56:9.

27. Matt. 7:25.

28. Cf. The Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 3, Question 7. The whole sentence – ‘Man is depraved by nature, at best a thief’ – seems to be a quotation, especially since it is repeated in its entirety at the end of the letter.

29. Cf. hymn 32:1 and hymn 181:1.

30. Acts 26:29.

31. This refers to several prints which Van Gogh asked about in letter 135.

32. For the prints after Ary Scheffer’s Christus Consolator and Christus Remunerator , see letter 85, n. 7. Van Gogh asked about them in letter 135.

33. Since Van Gogh’s mention of ‘the museum’ means the Trippenhuis, he must be referring here to The Meebeeck Cruywagen family, then attributed to Jacob Gerritsz. Cuyp but now considered to be the work of Jacob van Loo (Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum). Ill. 37 .

34. Cf. Matt. 7:24; hymn 242:2 and hymn 243:2.

35. Biblical; cf., for instance, Eph. 2:4.

36. Matt. 9:24.

37. As it turned out, Mauve did not move house (FR b960).

38. The brothers’ visit to Anton Mauve must have taken place during Vincent’s stay in The Hague in the second week of May 1877; cf. letter 114, n. 42.

39. For Bargue’s Anne of Brittany from Cours de dessin, see letter 136, n. 22.

40. Isa. 53:3.

41. 2 Cor. 6:10. Vincent writes ‘always’ instead of ‘alway’.