Description
Vincent van Gogh’s Portrait of the Postman Joseph Roulin gives a familiar face a vivid decorative setting. Roulin’s blue uniform and cap frame a broad face and an abundant curling beard. Behind him, flowers and looping stems spread across a green background, echoing the curves of the beard and softening the portrait’s formal frontality.
Roulin was Van Gogh’s friend in Arles, and the artist painted several members of his family. Here, bold color carries much of the portrait’s warmth and individuality. The steady gaze holds attention while the patterned backdrop gives this everyday postal worker an unusually expressive presence.
Read our guide to giclée prints, browse more Vincent van Gogh prints, or explore Dr Paul Gachet.
