1. Like several other medieval writers, Giovanni Boccaccio, who had spent time in Avignon in 1354 and 1365, wrote about the Roman tombs near Arles.

2. Van Gogh enclosed the sketch Head of a girl (F 1507a / JH 1466), which bears a close resemblance to the painting Head of a girl (F 535 / JH 1467). The view of the river he refers to is the painting The Trinquetaille bridge (F 426 / JH 1468

3. Mudlarks were the poorest of the poor, often children, reduced to scavenging in the Thames mud for anything – old bones, bits of coal, scraps of metal – that they might possibly be able to sell or barter for food.

b. Read: present-day.

4. This painting by Monet is Under the pine trees at the end of the day : see letter 615, n. 11. Theo sold the work to Paul Aubry for 2800 francs on 29 June 1888. See Wildenstein 1996, cat. no. 1191 and exhib. cat. Amsterdam 1999, p. 215.

5. For Russell’s house see letter 623, n. 16.

6. Paul Gauguin, Negresses talking or Conversation (Tropics), 1887 (W251/W227) (Sale, Christie’s New York, 15 May 1985, lot 20). Ill. 108

. The painting had been on consignment with Boussod, Valadon & Cie since April 1888; in La Revue Indépendante of May 1888 Félix Fénéon mentioned it in a summary of new work being exhibited by Theo van Gogh, adding: ‘A general exhibition of his work will show what a powerful and unique artist he is’ (Une exposition générale de son oeuvre montrera quel artiste puissant et isolé il est) (Fénéon 1970, vol. 1, p. 111). Despite this praise the painting was not sold until 18 June 1889, when Henri Lerolle bought it for 300 francs. See Wildenstein 2001, p. 341.

7. See for Rodin’s Madama Vicuňa : letter 623, n. 17.

8. Sower with setting sun (F 422 / JH 1470

), after which Van Gogh made the letter sketch F - / JH 1471 of the same name. Van Gogh describes and sketches the painting at an earlier stage; soon after this he went back to it again (see letter 634).