1. This is the same money mentioned in letter 206.

2. Christien (Sien), her mother Maria Wilhelmina Hoornik-Pellers and her younger sister Maria Wilhelmina. Van Gogh’s estimate of their ages was slightly off; they were in fact 32, 53 and 10, respectively. Regarding Christien, see also letter 200, n. 6; for her children, see letter 227, n. 5.

3. A woollen fabric produced from the combing wool of merino sheep.

a. Meaning: ‘snit’, ‘vorm’ (cut, form, shape).

4. The motto of the Order of the Garter and many other institutions and organizations.

5. At the time Breitner was working on a painting of a flower market, which he never finished. See Hefting 1970, p. 136 and cat. no. 132.

6. Old woman with a shawl and a walking-stick (F 913 / JH 109 ), after which he made the letter sketch of the same name (F - / JH 110). See cat. Amsterdam 1996, pp. 102-104, cat. no. 23. The ‘Dolhuis’ (madhouse) (since 1844, Het Geneeskundig Gesticht voor Krankzinnigen) was at the corner of Slijkeinde (also called Geest in those days) and Vliersteeg (present-day Vleerstraat).