1. Water mill at Gennep (F 125 / JH 525 ). See also under Date.

2. This new acquaintance was Anton Kerssemakers, who made a gouache of the same mill.

3. Kerssemakers lived at number 283 Kloosterdijk (district B), opposite the then station and outbuildings (De Brouwer 1984, p. 56, and RHC).

4. Kerssemakers was 38.

5. That Hermans had his reservations emerges from a confidential letter from Mr van Gogh to Theo: ‘Vincent goes to Eindhoven a lot. He made 6 paintings for Mr Hermans, who is copying them. He only paid the expenses of the ingredients used. He is an art lover. But he still finds a great deal to criticize and comment on, including Vincent’s views. But you mustn’t write this. It troubles this Gentleman that he just comes out with it and says he has broken with religion’ (FR b2258, Monday, 27 October 1884).

6. A reference to letter 468.

7. Theo had been in Nuenen in August (letter 453).

a. Read: ‘Dat die’ (that they).

8. Van Gogh wrote this in letter 468, l. 11.

9. Van Gogh did not actually go to museums in Antwerp with Kerssemakers until around the middle of August 1885 (see letter 527).

10. This remark about their brother Cor refers to the decision, which Vincent had previously mentioned, not to send him to the high school (HBS) for another two years but to have him taught a trade instead: see letter 443.