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  1. Image

Rue de la Montagne des Cordes 10 (directly after the two bridges)

Van Gogh in

Roulin

  1. 20 Feb. 1888 1888
     - 8 May 1889

Vincent made friends with the train station’s postal official Joseph Etienne Roulin (1841–1903), who lived nearby with his family. In July 1888, Vincent wrote to his brother Theo:

“Now I’m working with another model, a postman in a blue uniform with gold trimmings, a big, bearded face, very Socratic. […] A more interesting man than many people.” Read the complete letter

To thank Roulin for posing for a portrait, Vincent gave him the painting as a gift. Vincent was delighted with his new model and decided to paint Roulin’s entire family. In all, he made more than 20 portraits of them. He wrote in December 1888:

“But I’ve done the portraits of an entire family, the family of the postman whose head I did before – the man, his wife, the baby, the young boy and the 16-year-old son, all characters and very French, although they have a Russian look.” Read the complete letter

Augustine Roulin, Joseph’s wife, served as the model for La Berceuse. Vincent made at least five versions of the painting and gave one to the Roulins.

When Vincent was in hospital in Arles from 24 December 1888 to 7 January 1889 after his first mental breakdown, Roulin came to see him. He kept the Van Gogh family informed of how Vincent was doing and made sure his rent was paid and his house cleaned. After Vincent was permitted to go home, Roulin visited him as often as he could. Two weeks later, however, Roulin moved away to take up a new job in Marseille. He later visited Vincent in hospital again, and they kept up a correspondence during Vincent’s stay at the asylum in Saint-Rémy.

Made here

Postman Josesph Roulin, 1889

Postman Josesph Roulin, 1889

Oil on canvas, 81,3 x 65,4 cm

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Joseph Roulin, 1888

Joseph Roulin, 1888

Oil on canvas, 64,1 x 47,9 cm

Oil on canvas, 64,1 x 47, 9 cm

Joseph Roulin, 1888

Joseph Roulin, 1888

Oil on canvas, 65 x 54 cm

Erven van Georg Reinhart, Kunstmuseum Winterhur

Portrait of Joseph Roulin, 1889

Portrait of Joseph Roulin, 1889

Oil on canvas, 64,4 x 55,2 cm

The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Portrait of Camille Roulin, 1888

Portrait of Camille Roulin, 1888

Oil on canvas, 40,5 x 32,5 cm

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Stichting)

Portrait of Marcelle Roulin, 1888

Portrait of Marcelle Roulin, 1888

Oil on canvas 35,2 x 24,6 cm

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Stichting)

Portrait of Armand Roulin, 1888

Portrait of Armand Roulin, 1888

Oil on canvas, 66 x 55 cm

Museum Folkwang, Essen

La Berceuse (portrait of Madame Rouline),1889

La Berceuse (portrait of Madame Rouline),1889

Oil on canvas, 91 x 72 cm

Kröller-Muller museum, Otterlo

La Berceuse, 1889

La Berceuse, 1889

Oil on canvas, 92,7 x 73,7 cm

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, De Walter H. en Leonore Annenberg Collectie, New York

Augustine Roulin (La Berceuse), 1889

Augustine Roulin (La Berceuse), 1889

Oil on canvas, 93 x 74 cm

The Art Institute of Chicago, Helen Birch Barlett Memorial Collectie, Chicago

La Berceuse, 1889

La Berceuse, 1889

Oil on canvas, 91 x 71,5 cm

Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam

Augustine Roulin (La Berceuse), 1889

Augustine Roulin (La Berceuse), 1889

Oil on canvas, 92,7 cm x 72,7 cm

Museum of Fine Arts, nalatenschap van John T. Spaulding, Boston

    Relevant letters from Vincent

    Continue reading

    1. Marije Vellekoop, Roelie Zwikker

      Vincent van Gogh, tekeningen, deel 4: Arles, Saint-Rémy, Auvers-sur-Oise
      Amsterdam, 2007