Why it matters
Van Gogh described his model as 'a postman in blue uniform trimmed with gold, a big bearded face, very Socratic'. It is one of six portraits he painted of Joseph Roulin, whose whole family he also portrayed.
Did you know?
- It was painted in Arles in 1888.
- Van Gogh confirmed he had finished it in a letter of 8 September 1888.
- It is in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Based on the French Wikipedia article Portrait de Joseph Roulin (CC BY-SA 4.0).
