1. A reference to Tersteeg’s remark as noted in letter 247.

2. In De brieven 1990 it was assumed that Child in a cradle by the stove (F - / JH 155) was also sent. However, Van Gogh talks about touches of colour, but there are none to be seen – the possibility that they have disappeared over time cannot be ruled out.

3. ‘The meadows’ refers to one of the views from Van Gogh’s house. Around this time he was working on Rooftops (F 943 / JH 156 ), which he describes in letter 250 and of which he would send a letter sketch in letter 251. The drawing of the meadows that Vincent ‘recently’ sent to Theo was Carpenter’s yard and laundry (F 944 / JH 153 ). See letter 235.

4. For this pronouncement, known from Delacroix and Emerson, see letter 236, n. 2.

5. There were four versions of Sorrow; see letters 216, n. 3 and 222, n. 1.

6. This drawing of vegetable gardens in Laan van Meerdervoort, mentioned earlier in letters 218, 222 and 231, is not known.

7. The Rijswijk meadows can be seen in the background of several drawings: Carpenter’s yard and laundry (F 939 / JH 150 ); Carpenter’s yard and laundry (F 944 / JH 153 ) and Rooftops (F 943 / JH 156 ); Theo probably had the second (cf. n. 3 above).

8. Fish-drying barn (F 940 / JH 154 ); see letter 235.

9. Given what follows, this idea is borrowed from Mauve.

10. This remark may be based on a passage in Thomas Carlyle’s Sartor resartus. See Dorn in exhib. cat. Vienna 1996, pp. 33, 48 (n. 13). Van Gogh does not mention Sartor resartus until March 1883, but he already knew the book in 1875, when he quoted from it in a poetry album (Pabst 1988, p. 25).

11. For Millais’ Chill October , see letter 122, n. 19.

12. For Jacob van Ruisdael’s View of Haarlem with bleaching grounds , see letter 37, n. 3.

13. Van Gogh may be referring to Holl’s ‘Gone’ – Euston station or FitzGerald’s Irish emigrants leaving Queenstown harbour , see letter 199, n. 9.

14. For Rembrandt’s Reading the Bible , see letter 37, n. 4.

15. This observation does not occur in exactly this form in Sensier’s book about Millet, but the picture of him that emerges is that of a sincere and modest artist, who does not pretend to be other than he is.

16. Van Gogh had already asked for the thick Ingres in letter 243. He had sent a sample then too.