When Vincent left The Hague for Etten in September 1883, he left his drawings and sketches behind. From 21 to 25 December 1883, he came back to pack and ship his possessions. During his brief stay, he visited his ex-girlfriend Sien. Vincent lodged at the boarding house Kosthuis No. 1 during this time.

Assendelftstraat 16 was the property of the Haagse Maatschappij van Kosthuizen (The Hague Society of Boarding Houses), a private organisation that also ran soup kitchens in The Hague. The society was officially recognised on 31 August 1877 and existed for the purpose of “providing the working man with shelter and food for a moderate price in boarding houses, giving him the opportunity to spend his free time in a useful and pleasant manner, and promoting his moral development.” The building still exists today.