1. Vincent had asked Theo this in letter 266.
2. It is not certain which painting with ‘tree roots’ in the foreground (l. 32) was sent. Given that Van Gogh writes below: ‘The small figure in this study is actually there simply and solely for the size,’ in order ‘to provide an accent’ (ll. 110-111 and l. 116), and since he was not very happy with the background he was probably referring to A girl in a wood (F 8a / JH 180) – the background of F 8 / JH 182 is far better.
[247]
3. Van Gogh writes that this study of the chestnut trees on Bezuidenhout is a ‘failure’; this would explain why it has not survived. Bezuidenhout runs south of Haagse Bos, near to the present Centraal Station, and close to where Van Gogh lived.
4. For the origin of this borrowing from Petites misères de la vie humaine by Old Nick and Grandville, see letter 178, n. 6.
5. The reference is to ‘the church in the field’ at Nuenen which Van Gogh was later to paint several times. See letter 259, n. 9.
6. It is not known which engraving by Jozef Israëls is meant (it is not mentioned in the family correspondence).
7. The ‘last’ seascape is unknown; the work is also mentioned in letters 264 and 266.
8. The ‘first’ seascapes were Beach with fishing boats (F 2 / JH 173 [2383]) and Dunes with figures (F 3 / JH 186 [2389]).
[2383] [2389]
9. It is not clear which work is meant. At the end of August Van Gogh painted View of the sea at Scheveningen (F 4 / JH 187 [2390]), as well as another (‘small’) seascape, which is not known. See cat. Amsterdam 1999, pp. 36-42, cat. no. 2.
[2390]
10. For this letter from Van Rappard, see letter 268.
11. Opaque watercolour (gouache). A watercolour is done with transparent paint. The use of opaque paint is absolutely forbidden according to the rules, but it was done. See cat. Amsterdam 1996, p. 26.
a. Saying: ‘door gebruik te maken van de gunstige momenten’ (to make the most of an opportunity).
12. Vincent mentions this location several times. See letter 11.
13. Van Gogh seems to mean that for the first time by way of an experiment he has sent the painted study as printed matter.
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