1. Camille Pissarro lived with his family in Eragny-par-Gisors (Val-d’Oise).

2. Pissarro’s mother, Rachel Pommié-Manzana, died on 30 May 1889.

3. In letter 801 Van Gogh had suggested putting the idea to Jouve. Regarding his studio, see letter 801, n. 32. Jouve produced ‘enamel-covered lava and ceramic frescoes’ (émaux sur lave et fresques céramiques) (Almanach du commerce de Paris 1888).

4. Van Gogh had ordered the paint in letter 800 and the extra shipment of white in letter 801. The paints Theo ordered in September 1889 from Tasset cost 174 francs (Account book 2002, p. 44).

5. Theo is referring to the paintings The black region, Female coal-pit drawers (the coupling point) and Return from the pit (black) by Constantin Meunier at the 1889 World Exhibition. See exhib. cat. Paris 1889-3, p. 66, cat. nos. 127-129. The first is Black region, Borinage (Brussels, Musée Constantin Meunier). Ill. 1150 .

a. Read: ‘scories’.

6. Return from the pit (black) is the painting The return of the miners (Brussels, Musée Constantin Meunier). Ill. 1146 .

b. Read: ‘gars’.

7. For Female coal-pit drawers (the coupling point), cf. the depiction Three female coal-pit drawers, 1885? (private collection) in exhib. cat. Brussels 1998, p. 124, cat. no. 45.

c. Read: ‘puddleur’.

8. At the World Exhibition, Meunier exhibited the bronze statue Puddler (Brussels, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts). Ill. 1149 . See exhib. cat. Paris 1889-3, p. 70, cat. no. 321.