1. The etchings were a present for Vincent’s birthday. See letter 860, n. 6.

2. For Rembrandt’s etching David in prayer , see letter 131, n. 48.

3. The estate contains a heliogravure of The raising of Lazarus (ill. 357 ), published by Amand-Durand in the series Eaux-fortes et gravures des maîtres anciens, an engraving and a reproduction (Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, inv. nos. t574, t476 and p991, respectively). The heliogravure is a reproduction of the fifth state of Rembrandt’s etching (B73), which was in the Dutuit Collection in Paris. Van Gogh’s painting The raising of Lazarus (after a detail from an etching by Rembrandt) (F 677 / JH 1672) was based on the heliogravure; cf. the sketch in letter 866.

4. There are two etchings by Rembrandt of the Samaritan woman: The Samaritan woman, 1658 (B70) and The Samaritan woman or At the ruins, 1634 (B71) (Amsterdam, Rijksprentenkabinet). Ill. 368 and Ill. 2311 . The etching referred to here is presumably the latter, a reproduction of which is preserved in the estate (Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, inv. no. p110).

5. Rembrandt, The Good Samaritan, 1633 (B90); it measures 25.7 x 20.8 cm (Amsterdam, Rijksprentenkabinet). Ill. 338 . The estate contains a somewhat smaller reproduction of it, measuring 25.2 x 20.4 cm (Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, t*1443).

6. ‘The blind man’ could be The blind Tobit (see letter 116, n. 9), though he could also be the Blind man playing the violin, 1631 (B138) (Amsterdam, Rijksprentenkabinet). Ill. 341 .

7. Van Gogh must be referring to The little goldsmith (B123); this etching measures 7.8 x 5.6 cm (Amsterdam, Rijksprentenkabinet). Ill. 343 . There is an reproduction of it in the estate (Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, inv. no. p108).

8. In L’Oeuvre complet de Rembrandt, Charles Blanc discusses in detail the small and large Raising of Lazarus (B72 and B73). The second, of which Van Gogh had an reproduction (see n. 3 above), is the better known. See Paris 1859-1861, vol. 1, pp. 164-171, nos. 47-48. Van Gogh read the book in May 1877; see letter 115, n. 24.

9. Van Gogh later added ‘qui ... circonstances’ (who weren’t ... by circumstances).

10. Van Gogh thought that the Maecenas Alfred Bruyas had been of great importance to the painting of the South, and that Theo and Vincent himself were carrying on the work of Bruyas. Vincent had seen Bruyas’s collection in December 1888 at the Musée Fabre in Montpellier (see letter 726). Cf. letters 735, 743 and 765.

11. Gauguin had suggested exchanging Ravine (F 662 / JH 1804 ) for a painting of his, to be chosen by Van Gogh. See letter 858, n. 5. It is not clear why Van Gogh thought that Guillaumin was also interested in the painting. According to Gauguin, Guillaumin was one of the few who had shown indifference to Van Gogh’s work (see letter 859).

12. Ravine (F 661 / JH 1871 ). Vincent had sent it in the last consignment to Theo (see letter 863).

13. ‘The man at prayer’ refers to the previously mentioned etching David in prayer (see n. 2 above). Apart from The raising of Lazarus, Van Gogh did not make any paintings after the above-mentioned etchings by Rembrandt.

14. This was Gauguin’s letter 859, in which the exchange was mentioned.

a. Read: ‘Peyron’.

15. Joseph and Marie Ginoux.

16. For Peyron’s previous letter to Theo, see letter 862, n. 2. Peyron’s letter of ‘today’ is not known.

17. This refers to letter 861.