1. The previous one was Soup distribution in a public soup kitchen (F 1020 a/ JH 330 [2427]), which was sent to Theo; cf. n. 3 below for the sketch.
[2427]
2. Jacob Maris lived from 1871 to 1878 on N.W. Binnensingel (now called ‘Bij de Westermolens’), and not, as Van Gogh says, on Zuid Buitensingel (now Houtzagerssingel). See exhib. cat. Laren 1991, p. 20 and exhib. cat. Mannheim 1987, p. 23.
The ‘asvaalt’ – this rubbish dump is shown as ‘Aschlaat’ on an 1882 map – was in the neighbourhood of the gasworks, so just behind N.W. Binnensingel. Cf. exhib. cat. The Hague 1990, pp. 41, 177.
a. Means: ‘weerspiegelden zich’ (were reflected).
3. From letter 327 (ll. 210-215) it is clear that Theo commented on the drawing Woman sewing, with a girl (F 1072 / JH 341 [2434]), which is in natural chalk and ink. Although the descriptions ‘sketch’ and ‘very unfinished’ do not fit this large, fully worked-up sheet, this must be the one referred to. Vincent either sent the drawing seperately or enclosed the letter with the drawing.
It was previously thought to be Soup distribution in a public soup kitchen (F 1020 / JH 333), but that is now placed with letter 323. Van Heugten assumed that Van Gogh enclosed an – unknown – impression of a landscape with this letter, but the description ‘sketch from life’ does not seem to fit that. See cat. Amsterdam 1996, p. 214 (n. 4).
[2434]
4. These three French phrases may be quotations; they are not found in Cassagne’s Traité d’aquarelle (1875).
5. Baby crawling (‘Adventurer sallying forth’) (F 872 / JH 334) was once in Van Rappard’s possession, so it could have been one of the works enclosed. The other drawings of the baby Willem in natural chalk have not been identified.
6. Jozef Israëls, Man die zijn pijp aansteekt (De roker) (Man lighting his pipe (The smoker)), etching (1882), 40.4 x 27.7 cm (Amsterdam, Rijksprentenkabinet). Ill. 196 [196].
[196]
7. The likeliest candidate for Israëls’s ‘Interior of a labourer’s dwelling’ is the etching Binnenhuis or ‘De moeder’ (Interior, or ‘The mother’), although at 15.9 x 23.9 cm it cannot be described as large (Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum). Ill. 190 [190]. See Hubert 1909, p. 37, no. 21.
[190]
8. Félicien Rops co-founded the ‘Société Internationale des Aquafortistes’ in 1862. To promote interest in etching, in 1875 this Société published two albums with etchings by Jozef Israëls, Auguste Danse and the Countess of Flanders, the Cahier d’études: eaux-fortes and Album d’eaux-fortes. Brussels 1875. Cf. Stephen Goddard, Les Vingt en de avant-garde in België. Prenten, tekeningen en boeken c. 1890. Ghent 1992, pp. 53-54.
9. Jozef Israëls, Meisje leunende op een schop (Girl leaning on a spade) and Vrouw met een mand op de rug (Woman with a basket on her back), also known as Huiswaarts (On the way home). Both etchings, 9.2 x 5.7 cm and 13.5 x 9.5 cm respectively, were published in March on one sheet in Album d’eaux-fortes. Brussels 1875, by the above Société (Amsterdam, Rijksprentenkabinet). Ill. 198 [198] and Ill. 205 [205].
[198] [205]
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