1. No such sketches are known. They would have been for the decoration of the wooden studio that had been built for Bernard in his parents’ garden in Asnières. There may be a connection with the paintings of ‘flowers ... trees ... fields’ mentioned by Van Gogh in letter 696. With thanks to Fred Leeman.

2. Van Gogh was working on two paintings of a peach and pear orchard: Orchard bordered by cypresses (F 513 / JH 1389 ) and Orchard with peach trees in blossom (F 551 / JH 1396 ). See letter 597.

3. The altered ductus at this point on the page indicates that Van Gogh first made the sketch, Orchard bordered by cypresses (F - / JH 1390), on the facing page before returning to the letter. He made two paintings of the subject: Orchard bordered by cypresses (F 554 / JH 1388 ) and Orchard surrounded by cypresses (F 513 / JH 1389 ), the first, smaller work probably preceding the second. Judging by the composition and the colour notations on the sketch, the latter was probably made after the first painting.

4. Van Gogh is suggesting that his style is in line with the Cloisonnism of Bernard and Anquetin. The object of this tactical remark was to stress that they were all following the same path, whereas in fact he worked differently in several important respects; out of doors, and employing a coarse, visible brushstroke. Bernard painted in the studio and avoided impasto. See for Cloisonnism: letter 575, n. 7 and letter 620, nn. 11 and 12.

a. Read: ‘si j’y vais tout de même’.

5. Bernard had spent the summers of 1886 and 1887 in Brittany, mainly in Saint-Briac, and was now preparing to go there again. He left for Saint-Briac on 23 April 1888. See Harscoët-Maire 1997, p. 162.