1. Mrs van Gogh celebrated her 70th birthday on 10 September.

2. Van Gogh had started a letter to his mother on 9 September; see letter 801.

3. Willemien had been staying in Middelharnis, and Mrs van Gogh in Princenhage (FR b2902, b2931).

4. By the end of September, Van Gogh had finished five canvases for his mother and Willemien: Wheatfield and cypresses (F 743 / JH 1790 ), an unknown painting of an olive grove, Reaper (F 619 / JH 1792 ), The bedroom (F 483 / JH 1793 ) and Self-portrait with clean-shaven face (F 525 / JH 1665 ). See letter 806. Around 21 October he added two more – Field with a ploughman (F 625 / JH 1768 ) and a painting of an orchard in blossom – and sent the whole consignment to Theo in December (see letter 824).

5. Théophile Peyron.

6. Shortly before this, Van Gogh had painted two self-portraits, Self-portrait (F 627 / JH 1772 ) and Self-portrait (F 626 / JH 1770 ), and the Charles-Elzéard Trabuc (F 629 / JH 1774 )). At the time of writing, he was working on Jeanne Trabuc (F 631 / JH 1777 ). See letters 800, 801 and 805.