Dear Mr. *****,

Duly observing the conditions in the agreement dated 15 February 2003 and the conditions stipulated in my letter dated 25 November 2002, I inform you of the following:

We have studied the material carefully and investigated the work in Amsterdam.

It is in our opinion that the work Outskirts of Paris (F 264, JH 1179; 46.0 x 54.9 cm is indeed by Van Gogh, as style, technique and colour show. The topography is difficult to make out at the moment, but the spot could be near the ramparts of Paris. The work is probably painted in late summer, perhaps autumn 1886, when his colours increased in brightness and intensity due to the influence of Monticelli. The quality of the canvas closely resembles the type used in other Paris works. The work belonged to the family collection up to 1926, when it was sold be Leicester Galleries in London to the Earl of Sandwich.

Yours sincerely,

Louis van Tilborgh

Curator of Paintings

Van Gogh Museum