Van Gogh: The Postman and his Family

There are at least 9 portraits made of the Postman Joseph Roulin, and 17 of his family. The Postman became one of his Van Gogh’s favorite sitters in the French town of Arles. Van Gogh wrote to his brother about him:

“I am now at work with another model, a postman in a blue uniform, trimmed with gold, a big bearded face, very like Socrates.”

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Van Gogh compared Roulin to Socrates on many occasions. He described him as “such a good soul and so wise and so full of feeling and so trustful.”

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Van Gogh loved to paint portraits but models were difficult to afford. Joseph Roulin, his wife, and his children all agreed to several sittings, so Van Gogh created 23 paintings of the Postman and his family between 1888-1889.

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After her husband had posed several times for van Gogh, Augustine sat for both van Gogh and Paul Gauguin in the house the two men shared. During the sitting, she kept her gaze on Gauguin, possibly because she was not comfortable in the presence of van Gogh. 

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Van Gogh created several works while Augustine rocked her cradle by a string. Van Gogh titled the group of paintings La Berceuse which means “lullaby” or “the woman rocking the cradle.” 

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Armand Roulin, their eldest son, lived from 1871 – 1945. He was 17 when painted by van Gogh. At the time the paintings were made Armand had left his parents’ home, working as a blacksmith’s apprentice. 

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Camille Roulin, the middle child, lived from 1877 – 1922. He was eleven when his portrait was painted.

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Marcelle Roulin, the youngest child lived for 100 years, from 1888 to 1980! She was four months old when van Gogh painted her. She was painted three times by herself and twice on her mother’s lap.

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