1. This reveals that in 1880 Theo had suggested that Vincent become an artist, which goes a long way towards explaining why Theo must have felt it his duty to continue to offer his brother both moral and financial support. See cat. Amsterdam 1996, p. 14. Cf. also letters 363 and 401.

2. Van Gogh is most likely referring to Armand Théophile Cassagne’s Guide de l’alphabet du dessin (1880), which he had possibly received as early as September 1880 in Cuesmes (cf. letter 158). See cat. Amsterdam 1996, pp. 18-21 and cf. also letter 640, n. 14.

b. Meaning: ‘meteen’ (immediately, at once).

3. A reference to Correggio’s famous utterance: ‘anch’io sono pittore’ (I, too, am a painter), his response to Michelangelo’s assertion that he would never become a great painter. See Giuseppe Fumagalli, Chi l’ha detto? Tesoro di citazioni. Milano 1921, pp. 244-245, and Geflügelte Worte 1961, pp. 606-607.

4. For the expression ‘How (not) to do it’, see letter 179, n. 3.

5. Although Van Gogh had previously declared his intention not to see Tersteeg for the time being (see letter 208), he must meanwhile have borrowed 25 guilders from him (see also letter 215). Evidently Theo knew about this.

6. From 21 March to 17 June 1882 George Breitner was a patient at the Gemeentelijk Ziekenhuis (Municipal Hospital), the Burgergasthuis, situated on Zuidwal and Brouwersgracht in The Hague, where he was being treated for gonorrhoea. Some time before 28 March 1882 Van Gogh visited him there and took along a copy of Jules Michelet’s L’amour to give him. See Brieven Breitner 1970, pp. 30, 72, and Hefting 1970, p. 48.

7. Van Gogh worked from early April to early June on this new series of townscapes for Uncle Cor. The letter in which he says he has sent them (see letter 235, with indications of their measurements) mentions a total of seven drawings. The series included the following works (the first five are also named in letter 232): 1. Sien’s mother’s house (F 941/ JH 146

), medium-sized, 29 x 45 cm; 2. Sien’s mother’s house (F 942 / JH 147

), large, 46 x 59.5 cm; 3. Nursery on Schenkweg (F 930 / JH 138

), large, 29.5 x 58.5 cm; 4. Carpenter’s yard and laundry (F 939 / JH 150

), medium-sized, 28.5 x 47 cm; 5. Fish-drying barn (F 938 / JH 152

), 28 x 44 cm; 6. Fish-drying barn (F 946a / JH 151

), 27.5 x 46.5 cm; 7. Nursery on Schenkweg (F 923 / JH 125

), small, 23.5 x 33 cm. See exhib. cat. The Hague 1990, pp. 172-177.

8. The plan for Van Gogh to show his woodcuts at Pulchri had been proposed by Blommers shortly before this (see letter 213).

9. ‘Het Zuid-Hollandsch Koffiehuis’ (The South-Holland Coffee House) – popularly known as ‘Het Zuid’ – had opened in 1882 at Haagse Groenmarkt 37. It featured a reading table and was an important meeting place for The Hague’s painters and poets. See [R.L. de Haes], ‘Van Haagsche Koffiehuizen (eenige historische gegevens) met dertien afbeeldingen’, Die Haghe. Bijdragen en mededeelingen. The Hague 1906, pp. 377-463, espec. 407-415; and Geïllustreerde gids voor ’s-Gravenhage. 2nd ed. The Hague 1894, pp. xvii, 21; GAH, Adresboeken 1882-1883.