A groundbreaking exhibition titled "Van Gogh: The Roulin Family Portraits" is set to debut at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts from March 30 to September 7, 2025, before traveling to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam from October 3, 2025, to January 11, 2026. This marks the first time an exhibition has been dedicated solely to Vincent van Gogh's series of portraits featuring the Roulin family.
During his time in Arles, France, between 1888 and 1889, Van Gogh developed a close friendship with Joseph Roulin, a 47-year-old postal worker. This bond led to the creation of numerous portraits of Roulin, his wife Augustine, and their children—Armand, Camille, and baby Marcelle. In total, Van Gogh completed 23 paintings of the Roulin family, making them his most depicted subjects.
The upcoming exhibition will showcase approximately 20 of these works, including the Museum of Fine Arts' own "Postman Joseph Roulin" (1888) and "Lullaby: Madame Augustine Roulin Rocking a Cradle (La Berceuse)" (1889). Significant loans from institutions such as the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris will also be featured.
This exhibition offers a unique opportunity to delve into the personal relationships and emotional depth captured in Van Gogh's portraits, providing insight into his artistic process and the significance of the Roulin family in his life.