The portrait of postman Joseph Roulin was one of artist Vincent van Gogh’s favorite artwork. In 1888, van Gogh moved to Arles, France where he met Joseph Roulin. Roulin lived on the same street as van Gogh and they quickly became close friends. He became one of the most supportive person van Gogh has encounter during his difficult and lonely times as an artist in Southern France. The appearance of Joseph Roulin left a great impression on van Gogh, with his dark blue uniform, sturdy golden beard and a big face. Roulin’s features was powerful and he is depicted as so in the painting; like a general. Van Gogh described the painting as “the modern portrait” in excitement when telling his brother Theo about the discovery of a colorful style of painting
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The portrait of postman Joseph Roulin is believed to be drawn after van Gogh left Arles, to Marseilles, France. There are some evidence that supported this …show more content…
In 1888, van Gogh sent many paintings to his brother, Theo, but kept the portrait of Joseph Roulin in his possession. During van Gogh’s dark times, when he had a psychotic episode that caused him to cut off his ear. Roulin attended and stayed in the hospital with van Gogh until the next morning. This event allowed the two to build a long lasting friendship. The encounter of postman Joseph Roulin redeemed all the awful experiences in Arles. In a letter written to his brother, van Gogh described his connection with Roulin, who he had great respect for. "Roulin, though he is not quite old enough to be like a father to me, nevertheless has a silent gravity and a tenderness for me as an old soldier might have for a young one. A man who is neither embittered, nor sad, nor perfect, nor happy, nor always irreproachable just. But such a good soul and so wise and so full of feeling and so trustful. I tell you I have no right to complain of anything whatsoever in Arles when I think of some of the things I have seen there which I shall never be able to forget.” During his time in Arles, van Gogh worked with and was influenced by other artists painting technique and the use of color, which can be seen in van Gogh’s later portraits of Joseph Roulin in
The portrait of postman Joseph Roulin is believed to be drawn after van Gogh left Arles, to Marseilles, France. There are some evidence that supported this …show more content…
In 1888, van Gogh sent many paintings to his brother, Theo, but kept the portrait of Joseph Roulin in his possession. During van Gogh’s dark times, when he had a psychotic episode that caused him to cut off his ear. Roulin attended and stayed in the hospital with van Gogh until the next morning. This event allowed the two to build a long lasting friendship. The encounter of postman Joseph Roulin redeemed all the awful experiences in Arles. In a letter written to his brother, van Gogh described his connection with Roulin, who he had great respect for. "Roulin, though he is not quite old enough to be like a father to me, nevertheless has a silent gravity and a tenderness for me as an old soldier might have for a young one. A man who is neither embittered, nor sad, nor perfect, nor happy, nor always irreproachable just. But such a good soul and so wise and so full of feeling and so trustful. I tell you I have no right to complain of anything whatsoever in Arles when I think of some of the things I have seen there which I shall never be able to forget.” During his time in Arles, van Gogh worked with and was influenced by other artists painting technique and the use of color, which can be seen in van Gogh’s later portraits of Joseph Roulin in