1. This letter is Gauguin’s reaction to a new version (which has not survived) of RM23. Cf. Hulsker 1998, pp. 44-45. Around 7 July 1890, Gauguin informed Theo ‘I have had 2 quite calm letters from Vincent, which I enjoyed’ (j’ai eu 2 lettres de Vincent assez calmes qui m’ont fait plaisir) (FR b873). See Gauguin lettres 1983, p. 189.

Later Gauguin wrote in Avant et après: ‘The last letter I had was dated from Auvers, near Pontoise. He told me that he had hoped to recover sufficiently to come and meet me in Brittany, but that now he was forced to acknowledge the impossibility of a cure.

“Dear master (the only time he uttered this word), it is more worthy, after having known you and having caused you trouble, to die in a good state of mind than in a degraded state.”’ (La dernière lettre que j’ai eue était datée d’Auvers près Pontoise. Il me disait qu’il avait espéré guérir assez pour venir me retrouver en Bretagne, mais qu’aujourd’hui il était obligé de reconnaître l’impossibilité d’une guérison.

“Cher maître (la seule fois qu’il ait prononcé ce mot), il est plus digne après vous avoir connu et vous avoir fait de la peine, de mourir en bon état d’esprit qu’en état qui dégrade.”) See Gauguin 1923, pp. 23-24. The letter Gauguin claims to quote is not known.