542

Br. 1990: 545 | CL: 434
From: Vincent van Gogh
To: Theo van Gogh
Date: Nuenen, on or about Tuesday, 17 November 1885
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1. Van Gogh did as he said, see letter 544. See for Henri Leys’ paintings, including the The walk [1055] referred to here, letter 354, n. 3.
[1055]
2. Félix Bracquemond made three etchings of the composition, which shows a servant at a table: La servante, La table and La servante à la table (Paris, BNF, Cabinet des Estampes). Ill. 624 [624], Ill. 2163 [2163] and Ill. 2164 [2164]. La table and La servante had also been published in Lièvre, Musée Universel 1868-1869.
[624] [2163] [2164]
3. This painting of a mill at dusk is not known; Van Gogh mentioned it previously in letter 540.
4. From ll. 114-146 and the enclosed sketch it appears that he is referring here to Avenue of poplars (F 45 / JH 959 [2538]).
[2538]
5. Since Van Gogh had planned to send Still life with Bible (F 117 / JH 946 [2535]) together with Avenue of poplars (F 45 / JH 959 [2538]), this painting must be what he means here by ‘a still life’ (see letter 538).
[2535] [2538]
6. We do not know which figure drawings these are.
7. Leurs had had paintings on commission: see letter 530.
8. Causeries sur les artistes de mon temps (1885), in which Jean Gigoux quotes numerous artists’ anecdotes.
9. Anton Kerssemakers.
10. At the time there were several books containing glowing appreciations of the work and significance of Paul Huet, among them Philippe Burty, Maîtres et petits maîtres (see Burty 1877, pp. 179-229). In the breadth of the artists covered (including Delacroix, Rousseau, Meryon, Gavarni, Hugo and Millet) and biographical details it does resemble Gigoux’s book. Since it includes the saying ‘Japonaiserie forever’, which Van Gogh quotes (see letter 545, n. 2), there is a good chance that it was one of the books Van Gogh read.
In view of the quotation about Gainsborough in letter 543, E.J.T. Thoré (under the pseudonym W. Bürger), Trésors d’art en Angleterre (1865) must have been another of them, as must Histoire des artistes vivants français et étrangers by Théophile Silvestre: see letter 557.
11. Theo had taken with him a number of heads, including Head of a woman (Gordina de Groot) (F 130 / JH 692 [2496]) and probably also Head of a woman (F 160 / JH 722 [2500]): see letter 489, n. 4.
[2496] [2500]
12. This must be paint from Baijens (see letter 478, n. 4).
13. These stretching frames are listed as ‘42 Frames’ at 6.50 guilders in the accounts of the carpenter and general builder Theodorus de Vries, entered on 16 November 1885. See letter 432, n. 13.
14. These friends were Antoon Hermans, Anton Kerssemakers and Willem van de Wakker: see letter 469.
15. Avenue of poplars (F - / JH 960) is after Avenue of poplars (F 45 / JH 959 [2538]).
[2538]