1. Bernard had also written about this; see letter 664, n. 3.

2. Sunflowers in a vase (F 453 / JH 1559 ). Van Gogh is mistaken about the size: the work measures 73 x 58 cm, which makes it a ‘no. 20 figure’ canvas (73 x 60 cm).

3. Sunflowers in a vase (F 459 / JH 1560 ). Van Gogh refers to five flowers; the sixth (below centre) was added when the painting was mounted on wood and enlarged to 98 x 69 cm. It was most probably originally a ‘no. 25 figure’ canvas (81 x 65 cm). See Dorn 1999, pp. 49, 59.

4. Sunflowers in a vase (F 456 / JH 1561 ). See Dorn 1999, p. 49; Van Tilborgh and Hendriks 2001, p. 22, on the number of flowers.

5. Next door to Boussod, Valadon & Cie, at 21 boulevard Montmartre, there was a restaurant belonging to the Duval chain (Almanach du commerce de Paris 1886). See letter 502, n. 8. Around 1900 the restaurant was called Le Soleil, as can be seen on a contemporary postcard. See exhib. cat. Chicago 2001, pp. 50-51.

6. See letter 658 for the compensation for the cost of carriage on Tasset’s shipments.

7. Van Gogh was able to compare these prices because he had a catalogue from the artists’ supplies merchant Bourgeois; see letter 639.

8. This study is not known, but the subject may have been similar to that of the drawing Thistles by the roadside (F 1466 / JH 1552). For an earlier attribution see letter 665, n. 8.

9. Around 15 September 1888 Koning, who had returned to Winschoten after he left Paris, moved to 163 Van Diemenstraat in The Hague (FR b1080-b1081). He wrote to Theo about his studies: ‘I can well imagine that at the moment I’m nowhere near where I want to be, but I firmly believe it will come. Anyway, judge for yourself. This morning I packed up the best of my studies or paintings, call them what you will, and I shall send them to you today’ (FR 1080). On 18 September 1888 Koning sent seven studies to Paris: ‘There are 4 no. 10 ... 2 no. 8 and 1 no. 6’ (FR b1081). The exact make-up of Koning’s consignment to Theo cannot be reconstructed. There are presently 14 paintings by Koning in the Van Gogh Museum, ten of which qualify in terms of their size.

10. Van Gogh had written about this ‘very large boat laden with coal’ in the ‘railway yard’ in letter 652. The drawing of sand barges is Quay with sand barges (F 1462 / JH 1556 ); it had gone to Theo in the second consignment of paintings (see letter 662).

11. This letter to Willemien was letter 667.

12. Nothing is known about this album. Van Gogh had sent two batches of drawings to Bernard in mid-July; see letter 641, n. 1.