Chapter 22: ‘The Certainty of Unhappiness’

  1.       Adeline Ravoux-Carrié, ‘Les Souvenirs d’Adeline Ravoux sur le séjour de Vincent van Gogh à Auvers-sur-Oise’, Les Cahiers de Vincent 1, 1957 pp. 7–17 (VGM).

  2.       Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, Van Gogh: The Life.

  3.       Victor Doiteau, ‘Deux “copains” de Van Gogh, inconnus, les frères Gaston et René Sécretan, Vincent tel qu’ils l’ont vu’, Aesculape, March 1957, pp. 38–58.

  4.       Louis van Tilborgh and Teio Meedendorp, ‘The Life and Death of Van Gogh’, The Burlington Magazine, London, CLV, July 2013, pp. 456–62.

  5.       Adeline Ravoux, ‘Les Souvenirs’.

  6.       The funeral was due to be held at the Church of Notre Dame in Auvers-sur-Oise at 2.30 p.m. on 30 July 1890. Details taken from the ‘faire-part’ – the formal notification of the funeral reproduced by the Auberge Ravoux for the 120th anniversary of Van Gogh’s death: Auberge Ravoux, Auvers-sur-Oise, 29 July 1890–29 July 2010, ‘120ème anniversaire de la mort de Vincent van Gogh à l’Auberge Ravoux’.

  7.       Dr Théophile Zacharie Auguste Peyron (1827–95).

  8.       Letter 772, Vincent van Gogh to Theo and Jo van Gogh, 9 May 1889 (VGM).

  9.       Ibid.

  10.     The original purple colour of these irises has changed over time. The paint has discoloured and now appears blue.

  11.     Annales Arles juin 1889, Météo France, Agence Sud-Est.

  12.     William Parsons, the Third Earl Rosse, first presented his drawings to the Royal Society, London in 1851.

  13.     Vincent sent a sketch of this painting to Theo (F1540, JH1732). See note 16, Letter 784, Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, 2 July 1889 (VGM).

  14.     Letter 786, Johanna van Gogh to Vincent van Gogh, Paris, 5 July 1889 (VGM).

  15.     Letter 794, Theo van Gogh to Vincent van Gogh, Paris, 4 August 1889 (VGM).

  16.     Letter 798, Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, on or about 2 September 1889. See also FR B650, a note added by Dr Théophile Peyron (VGM).

  17.     Letter 800, Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, 5 and 6 September 1889 (VGM).

  18.     Letter 820, Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, on or about 19 November 1889 (VGM).

  19.     See note 2, Letter 883, Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, 31 December 1889 or 1 January 1889 (VGM).

  20.     Letter 836, Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, 4 January 1890 (VGM).

  21.     Letter 833, Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, 31 December 1889 or 1 January 1890 (VGM).

  22.     Letter 841, Vincent van Gogh to Willemien van Gogh, 20 January 1890 (VGM).

  23.     Letter 842, Vincent van Gogh to M. and Mme Joseph Ginoux, 20 January 1890 (VGM).

  24.     Letter 856, Vincent van Gogh to Willemien van Gogh, 19 February 1890 (VGM).

  25.     Letter 844, Paul Gauguin to Vincent van Gogh, 22 or 23 January 1890 (VGM).

  26.     B 2205V/1962: Chris Stolwijk and Han Veenenbos, Account book of Theo van Gogh and Jo Bonger van Gogh, (ed.) Sjraar van Heugten, 2002 (VGM).

  27.     Letter 855, Vincent van Gogh to Anna van Gogh, 19 February 1890 (VGM).

  28.     Letter 857, Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, on or about 17 March 1890 (VGM).

  29.     Letter 856, Vincent van Gogh to Willemien van Gogh, Saint-Rémy, 19 February 1890 (VGM).

  30.     Letter 863, Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh 29 April 1890 (VGM). For the article on Vincent, see Albert Aurier, ‘Les Isolés: Vincent van Gogh’, La Mercure de France, January 1890, pp. 24–9.

  31.     Letter FR B1063, Dr Théophile Peyron to Theo van Gogh, 1 April 1890 (VGM).

  32.     Letter 863, Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, 29 April 1890 (VGM).

  33.     Letter 865, Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, on or about 1 May 1890 (VGM).

  34.     Letter 814, Joseph Roulin to Vincent van Gogh, 24 October 1889 (VGM).

  35.     Letter 820, Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, on or about 19 November 1889 (VGM).

  36.     Letter 813, Vincent van Gogh to Willemien van Gogh, on or about 21 October 1889 (VGM).

  37.     Dr Théophile Peyron, patient notes, Saint-Rémy, 16 May 1890 (Documentation VGM).

  38.     Letter 873, Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, Auvers-sur-Oise, 20 May 1890 (VGM).

  39.     Letter RM20, Vincent van Gogh to Theo and Jo van Gogh, Auvers-sur-Oise, 24 May 1890 (VGM).

  40.     Letter 898, Vincent van Gogh to Theo and Johanna van Gogh, 10 July 1890 (VGM).

  41.     Letter FR B2063, Theo van Gogh to Johanna van Gogh, 25 July 1890 (VGM).

  42.     Letter FR B4241, Johanna van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, 26 July 1890 (VGM).

  43.     Letter FR B2066, Theo van Gogh to Johanna van Gogh, 28 July 1890, in Brief Happiness, pp. 269–70 (VGM).

  44.     Anton Hirschig, quoted by Abraham Bredius in Herinneringen aan Vincent van Gogh, Oud Holland, Brill, 30 January 1934, Vol. 57, p. 44 (VGM).

  45.     For date and time of death, see Acte du décès, No. 60, 29 July 1890, Mairie Auvers-sur-Oise. The declaration of death was made by Theo van Gogh and Arthur Gustave Ravoux. Letter from Émile Bernard to Albert Aurier, 31 July 1890, Rewald Folder.

  46.     Letter FR B2067, Theo van Gogh to Johanna van Gogh, 1 August 1890 (VGM).

  47.     Émile Bernard to Albert Aurier, 31 July 1890, Rewald Folder.

  48.     Letter FR B2067, Theo van Gogh to Johanna van Gogh, 1 August 1890 (VGM).

  49.     In 1905 the cemetery concession ran out. Andreas Obst, ‘Records and Deliberations about Vincent van Gogh’s First Grave in Auvers-sur-Oise’, unpublished monograph on Vincent and Theo’s tomb, Germany, 2010.

  50.     Letter FR B2067, Theo van Gogh to Johanna van Gogh, 1 August 1890 (VGM).