Portrait of Joseph Roulin
1888 Museum of Modern Art, New York
About this artwork
This is one of several portraits Van Gogh painted of Joseph Roulin, a postman in Arles, France. Roulin became a close friend and father figure to the artist during his stay in the town.
Did you know?
Joseph Roulin was not just Van Gogh's postman; he was a steadfast friend during one of the most tumultuous periods of the artist's life in Arles. Van Gogh painted Roulin and his family members multiple times, seeing them as truly 'modern' people, and even referred to them as 'the family like that of the good soul Roulin'.
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Portrait of Joseph Roulin
Vincent van Gogh, 1888
