Slightly raised eyebrows convey a gentle inquisitiveness. van Gogh accentu- ates Roulin’s distinctive facial features with great care-the ruddiness of his nose and cheeks, the slight irregularity of one drooping eyelid, his lopsided nares. A floral design explodes in the background. Thick lines of green, bright blues, and lavender swirl around one another, each stroke distinct and unblended. Unusual hues and color choices unify the composition-the acidic green of the background that unexpectedly appears in Roulin’s mustache and beard, for example. In what van Gogh described in a letter to his brother Theo as a “modern portrait,” he portrayed Roulin through the vivid independent life of color. Roulin is squarely centered in this decorative composition, shown from shoulders up, his gaze meeting the viewer. In each of Roulin’s six portraits, he is shown wearing his dark blue postal uniform and cap, emblazoned with the word Postes.This intentional declaration likely reflected Roulin’s political beliefs and signaled that portraiture was no longer reserved for aristocracy. In his absence, van Gogh seems to have exalted Roulin as a paternal sage of sorts. The Postman may have been created from memory after Roulin and his family moved from Arles to a nearby town. The two men quickly forged a close friendship over shared political ideals. One of his few reprieves was found in a postmaster by the name of Joseph-Étienne Roulin, an ardent socialist and devoted husband and father to his wife and three children. ![]() ![]() During these emotionally turbu- lent two years before his death, the artist strug- gled with poverty, mental illness, and eviction threats from fellow Arles residents. ![]() When Vincent van Gogh moved from Paris to Arles in 1888, he likely did not anticipate the extent of isolation and loneliness this relocation would incur. A faithful friend is the medicine of life. A faithful friend is a strong defence, and he that hath found such an one hath found a treasure.
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