À propos de l’œuvre
Joseph Roulin, par Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh · November -December 1888 · Arles
Portrait of Joseph Roulin, F434Reproduction of oil painting on canvas
The Arles postman stands out with sculptural force on a yellow background: blue uniform, copper buttons, cap marked "POSTS" and beard mixing green, blue and ocher.
Look at the work
A friend transformed into a monumental figure
Joseph Roulin worked at the posts and frequented the Café de la Gare where Van Gogh lived. The artist admired his frankness, his republican opinions and a physiognomy that he compared to that of Socrates. He painted him six times, as well as his wife Augustine and their children.
In this version of Winterthur, the bust fills almost the entire format. The yellow background is laid as a continuous surface; the deep blue of the uniform and the green-gray mass of the beard build the volume, while the contours blacks recall the sharpness of Japanese prints collected by Van Gogh.
Van Gogh seeks neither pageantry nor idealization: he gives a postal worker the lasting presence of a historical portrait.
Composition, touch and color
Three observations specific to this painting
The power of the image comes from a simple but demanding contrast: yellow versus blue, flat surface versus modeled beard, frontality versus slightly offbeat gaze.
Yellow and blue
The background, the letters of the cap and the buttons take yellow; the uniform contrasts a very dense blue. The reproduction must maintain this tension without making the tones garish.
A built beard
The beard is not a uniform mass. Short touches of green, blue, gray and yellow bring out the mouth, chin and cheeks with an almost tactile material.
The black outline
The cap, shoulders and certain facial features are clearly defined. These lines stabilize the silhouette on the flat background and give the portrait its decorative character.
Documented benchmarks
Precisely identify the original work
The background color and references F434/JH1647 identify Winterthur's version among the many portraits of Joseph Roulin.
Joseph-Etienne Roulin
Postman in Arles and close friend of Van Gogh, Roulin helped the artist after the crisis of December 1888 and remained in contact with him after his departure for Marseille.
Six painted portraits
Van Gogh multiplied the effigies of Joseph Roulin in 1888 and 1889. This canvas can be recognized by its yellow background and its uniformed front bust.
Don Reinhart, 1955
The work entered the Kunst Museum Winterthur in 1955 thanks to a donation from Georg Reinhart's heirs.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
The face should not be smoothed: the expression arises from the visible juxtaposition of the touches, the density of the beard and the clear contrast with the background.
- The warm, slightly textured yellow of the background
- The exact shape of the cap and the inscription "POSTS"
- The deep blue of the uniform and the shine of the buttons
- The greens, blues and ochres nestled in the beard
- The dark contours that give the silhouette its sharpness
Work sheet
| Title | Portrait of Joseph Roulin, F434 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Vincent van Gogh (1853 -1890) |
| Date | November - December 1888 |
| Place of creation | Arles |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 65 × 54 cm |
| Inventory | Kunst Museum Winterthur · F434 · JH1647 |
| Conservation | Kunst Museum Winterthur, Winterthur |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
From order to shipping
In your interior
A powerful portrait, dominated by yellow and blue
This canvas creates an immediate focal point in an office, library or living room. Its frontality works particularly well on a gray blue, pale ocher or warm white wall.
Frequently asked questions
Before ordering
Is this a canvas print?
No. Each reproduction is manually painted in oil on canvas. Brushstrokes and material variations belong to the final result.
How is the visual reference chosen?
The public domain image was converted to WebP at 2,486 × 3,000 px, without artificial enlargement and with sufficient definition to observe the touch of the face and beard.
Can I check the result before shipping?
Yes. Photographs of the finished painting are sent to you; you can request alterations before validating the shipment.
Are custom formats possible?
Yes. The format can be adapted to your wall while maintaining the proportions and balance of the original composition.
