Original manuscript

Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, inv. no. b8377 V/2006

The plan was that Van Rappard should come to Nuenen at the end of March; now the invitation is firm. Van Gogh asks Van Rappard to bring the March drawings with him when he comes to stay (ll. 38-39). Since we have dated the letter in which Vincent tells Theo about this request on or about 28 March (letter 443), the present letter cannot have been written later than that. The previous letter to Van Rappard was written on or about 18 March; because Van Gogh writes that he sent Van Rappard some more pen-and-ink drawings ‘the other day’, we assume that at least a couple of days elapsed between the two letters. On these grounds we have dated the letter between about Friday, 21 and about Friday, 28 March 1884.