1. The brothers would see each other once more – on Sunday, 6 July, in Paris – before Vincent wounded himself on 27 July. See RM24 and Hulsker 1990-1, pp. 435-436.

2. It cannot be said with certainty which two studies these were. The possibilities include Houses (F 759 / JH 1988), Thatched cottages and houses (F 805 / JH 1989) and Thatched cottages (F 792 / JH 1987).

3. It is not known which painters were among this ‘colony of Americans’.

4. Vincent was staying at the Auberge Ravoux. During Theo’s visit, the brothers had apparently discussed the possibility of renting a house together.

5. Coincidentally, on the day Van Gogh wrote this, he received word from Marie Ginoux about his furniture (see letter 882).

6. The first of these letters is letter 871; the other two are not known. Van Gogh’s third letter crossed letter 882 from Madame Ginoux.

a. Read: ‘besoin urgent’.

7. A louis was a coin worth 20 francs.

8. Van Gogh is referring to the commotion caused in Arles by the first attack of his illness. See letter 750.

b. Read: ‘cela s’était plutôt aggravé’.

9. Theo rented a room at Tanguy’s, where he stored Vincent’s paintings (see letter 792).

10. For the exhibition of Raffaëlli’s work, see letter 876, n. 1.

11. Cretonne is a strong linen fabric. Theo must have told Vincent something he also wrote to Willemien: ‘The Raffaëlli exhibition is attracting a lot of people and things are also being sold, but I liked the Pissarros more ... On this occasion I had electric light installed that is very satisfactory and will be particularly useful this winter. One highly original idea of Raffaëlli was to cover the walls of one of the rooms in the gallery completely with light cretonne. It looks rather odd but very jolly and the paintings look good against it’ (FR b931, 2 June 1890).

12. Jules Chéret was known especially for his posters announcing concerts in theatres and café-chantants. Perhaps this is why Van Gogh associates an exhibition in a café with him in particular. Chéret’s work was exhibited in Paris: in 1888 at Theo’s in boulevard Montmartre (three posters), in 1889 at Durand-Ruel’s, and in 1889-1890 in the Théâtre d’Application. See K.G. Saur, Allgemeines Künstler-Lexicon. Die bildenden Künstler aller Zeiten und Völker. Munich and Leipzig 1998, vol. 18, pp. 439-443, Merlhès, Correspondance Gauguin 1984, p. 512, and exhib. cat. New York 1986, p. 206.