1. With the words ‘Behold the man’, Pilate showed the scourged Jesus wearing a crown of thorns to the people (John 19:5). An ‘Ecce homo’ is a depiction of this scene.

2. Helen Paterson, also known as Helen Allingham, ‘Ninety-three’ – Dolorosa, in The Graphic 9 (13 June 1874), p. 565. Ill. 1214 (t*119). It is an illustration to Quatre-vingt-treize by Victor Hugo.

3. For George John Pinwell, The sisters , see letter 303, n. 11.

4. A reference to Hubert von Herkomer’s article ‘Drawing and engraving on wood’: see letter 278. Herkomer praised the illustrators of 20 years before and criticized the younger artists.

5. Van Gogh did various women’s heads; it is impossible to say which particular ones he was referring to here. Women carrying bags are not known.

6. Theo may have written about Daumier’s The Revolution of 1848. A family on the barricades (Prague, Národní Galerie) or about The revolt (Washington D.C., Phillips Collection). ‘Numerous imitations exist which are mostly based on one or two figures taken from this composition’. See Maison 1968, vol. 1, pp. 192-193, cat. nos. ii-18 and ii-19.

7. For Houghton’s The courts martial at Versailles and The Paris mob , see letter 303, n. 4

8. Van Gogh may be referring to one or more of the six illustrations by Houghton depicting the Shakers which appeared in The Graphic 1 (7 May 1870), p. 536 and 1 (14 May 1870), pp. 556-557. See also Hogarth 1981, pp. 75-80.

9. For Arthur Boyd Houghton, Service in the Mormon tabernacle , see letter 303, n. 21.

10. The series about America which Houghton did for The Graphic includes several illustrations of ‘Indians in North America’ (in the volumes for 1870-1873); Indian women are seen in among others Hiawatha and Minne-ha-ha, in The Graphic 2 (16 July 1870), p. 60; and Pawnee squaws, in The Graphic 7 (22 February 1873), p. 185, which is in the estate. Ill. 961 (t*848). Cf. Hogarth 1981, pp. 86-99.

11. This must refer to one of the prints of emigrants that Houghton made, which included Steerage passengers and Steerage emigrants : see letters 304, n. 55 and 317, n. 9. Cf. also Hogarth 1981, pp. 60-65.

a. Saying (also Herkomer’s words, see n. 4 above). The expression ‘zegt de wereld’ means: ‘zegt men’.

12. The Société des Aquafortistes was founded in Paris in May 1862 by the engraver and publisher Alfred Cadart. Each month five etchings by artists who were either French or living in France were published. As a result of financial mismanagement and disagreements with the printer, the etchings group ceased to exist in September 1867. In 1868 Cadart and Maximilien Luce began publishing L’Illustration Nouvelle, a monthly about the art of etching. See Bailly-Herzberg 1972.

13. François Feyen-Perrin, Les deux frères (The two brothers) (London, Victoria and Albert Museum) – also known as a proof before letters (Paris, BNF, Cabinet des Estampes). There is also an etching, in a slightly larger format, with no caption (Amsterdam, Rijksprentenkabinet). Ill. 837 . Cf. Bailly-Herzberg 1972, vol. 2, pp. 78-79.

14. Charles-François Daubigny, Le grand parc à moutons (The large sheep pasture), after the painting at the Salon of 1861, appeared in the first volume of Eaux-fortes modernes, publiées par la Société des Aquafortistes (September 1862), no. 2; the etching was exhibited at the Salon of 1865 (Amsterdam, Rijksprentenkabinet). Ill. 47 . See Bailly-Herzberg 1972, vol. 1, pp. 54, 72; vol. 2, pp. 60-63.

15. Félix Bracquemond played an important role in the Société. The issue for September 1862 contained his L’inconnu (part 1); and the February 1863 issue had his Vanneaux et sarcelles (part 6). He also did the title page for the album of the Société in 1865. See Bailly-Herzberg 1972, vol. 1, pp. 49, 53-54, 62, 131; vol. 2, pp. 20-27.

16. Van Gogh drew various heads of fishermen; it is impossible to say which particular ones he was referring to here.

17. Head of a fisherman with a fringe of beard and a sou’wester (F 1017 / JH 302 ).

18. Arthur Boyd Houghton, Our artists’ Christmas entertainment – Arrival of the visitors, in The Graphic 6 (28 December 1872), p. 605. Ill. 966 . The commentary makes it clear that the visitors are models (p. 599).

19. Derived from Flor O’Squarr’s contribution in Galerie Contemporaine, which says of Frère: ‘Look,’ he says to us, ‘those who today pose as mamas themselves once posed as babies’ (Voyez, nous dit-il, ceux qui posent aujourd’hui pour les mamans ont elles-mêmes posé autrefois comme les bébés). See letter 137, n. 1.