Artwork
La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851–1930)
La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851–1930) is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Together these elements frame Augustine Roulin as an emblem of maternal devotion and household stability within the artist's Arles period portraiture.
La Berceuse portrays Augustine Roulin, the wife of Van Gogh's postman friend Joseph Roulin, shown in the act of rocking a cradle. The painting belongs to Van Gogh's series of portraits of Augustine, who is identified as the principal subject. In addition to the figure of the woman, the composition includes flowers among its depicted elements.
The cradle and the maternal gesture of rocking evoke themes of domestic life, nurturing, and continuity, while the inclusion of flowers introduces a motif Van Gogh frequently associated with vitality and emotional warmth. Together these elements frame Augustine Roulin as an emblem of maternal devotion and household stability within the artist's Arles period portraiture.
Technique & Style
Executed in Arles during January 1889, this portrait utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 92.7 centimeters in height by 73.7 centimeters in width. As a painted representation of Augustine Roulin, the composition incorporates floral elements alongside the figure of the woman.
The piece is classified within the portrait genre, depicting its subject through the specific material combination of oil and canvas typical of the artist's output during this period.
History & Provenance
Vincent van Gogh painted La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle) in 1889 while working in Arles, France. The work portrays Augustine Roulin, the wife of his friend Paul Roulin, and was executed in oil on canvas, measuring roughly 92.7 × 73.7 cm. Initially part of van Gogh’s personal output, the painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on permanent display. Its provenance traces a direct path from the artist’s studio to the museum’s acquisition, with no documented intermediate owners.
The work’s creation is documented by contemporary records indicating its completion in late 1889, and its subject matter, Augustine Roulin holding a cradle, reflects van Gogh’s interest in domestic scenes.
Context
La Berceuse, painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1889 in Arles, is an oil‑on‑canvas portrait that belongs to the genre of portraiture documented in the artist’s catalogue. The work depicts Augustine‑Alix Pellicot Roulin cradling a child, reflecting the subject’s identity as recorded in museum records. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is displayed, situating the painting within Van Gogh’s broader output of late‑19th‑century portraiture and illustrating the artist’s engagement with family subjects during his Arles period.
Overview
Vincent van Gogh's painting, La Berceuse, depicts Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, a woman known to the artist. Executed in oil paint, the work presents a seated figure engaged in a domestic activity. The title, meaning "The Lullaby Woman" or "Woman Rocking a Cradle," points to the implied action, even though the cradle itself remains out of view. This portrait is one of several works Van Gogh created featuring members of the Roulin family.
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Artist
Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art.
