1. This ‘large’ painting of a woman spinning must be the same one referred to in letters 449 and 450. The ‘little woman spinning’ may have been the woman spinning that is under The parsonage garden in the snow (F 194 / JH 603 ), which measures 59 x 78 cm. For an X-ray image of this see exhib. cat. Vienna 1996, p. 172. Cf. also letter 466.

2. Breitner stayed in Paris, where he met Theo, from June to November 1884. See Hefting 1970, p. 75.

3. See for these three large works by Breitner, one of which was probably Charge of the hussars : letter 361, nn. 22-24.

4. We do not know which watercolours Van Gogh means.

5. See for De Hollandsche Teeken-maatschappij: letter 256, n. 8. Van Gogh’s name does not appear in the minutes for 1884-1885, nor is he listed among the absentees (GAH).

6. Weaver near an open window (F 24 / JH 500 ), which measures 67 x 93.2 cm. In the same week – on 5 July 1884 – Mr van Gogh wrote to Theo: ‘Vincent is still working on weavers. A pity, one might say, that he doesn’t choose a landscape for a change’ (FR b2253).

7. Weaver, interior with three small windows (F 37 / JH 501 ), which measures 61 x 93 cm.

a. Means: ‘uitgelezen’ (exquisitely).

8. The plan was that Theo would go to London on 4 August (see letter 452). His mother wished him bon voyage on 17 July (FR b2254). We know that he travelled back via the Netherlands, because on 22 August the family was able to look back with great pleasure on his visit to Nuenen (FR b2256).

9. Willemien was on holiday with her sister Anna and Joan van Houten and their family in a boarding house in Noordwijk aan Zee, between The Hague and Haarlem. Theo had provided the funds for this (FR b2254 and b2255).

10. Their sister Elisabeth had aspirations as a writer. Mrs van Gogh wrote this month about Vincent’s surly attitude: ‘Vincent is working hard but he’s not pleasant; all the same I’m easier in my mind than if he were in The Hague’ (FR b2254, 17 July 1884).

11. The idea is that Vincent will send works without stretching frames which Theo will mount on the stretching frames – there would then be a single frame that could be used for all the works.