Artwork
Madame Augustine Roulin with Baby
Madame Augustine Roulin with Baby 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
The work is a double portrait that forms part of Van Gogh’s Roulin Family series, created during his Arles period after meeting the postman Joseph Roulin.
Madame Augustine Roulin with Baby portrays Augustine Roulin seated in profile, her left side turned toward the viewer, cradling her infant daughter Marcelle, who faces forward with a direct gaze. Augustine is dressed in green, Marcelle in white, set against a vivid yellow background. The work is a double portrait that forms part of Van Gogh’s Roulin Family series, created during his Arles period after meeting the postman Joseph Roulin.
By presenting mother and child in a tender, intimate pose, the painting conveys the maternal bond and domestic affection central to the Roulin portraits, reflecting Van Gogh’s interest in capturing the character and relationships of his Arles acquaintances.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil paint on a canvas support, a medium consistently noted across sources. Van Gogh’s handling is described as vigorous, with thick, expressive brushstrokes that impasto the surface to convey the infant’s expression. Stylistically, the work is a vertical double portrait set against a yellow background; the mother appears in green profile while the infant is rendered in white, facing the viewer.
The composition centers on the child, emphasizing familial intimacy. No specific details regarding the painting’s current condition are provided in the referenced sources.
History & Provenance
Madame Augustine Roulin with Baby was painted in 1888 during Van Gogh’s stay in Arles, where he met the Roulin family after the postman Joseph Roulin introduced himself. The work is part of Van Gogh’s Roulin family series, indicating it was a personal project rather than a commissioned portrait. After its creation, the painting entered private hands and was owned by Robert Lehman before being acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1975 (accession number 1975.1.231), where it remains today.
Madame Augustine Roulin with Baby is held in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work was acquired by the museum in 1975 from the collection of Robert Lehman, receiving the accession number 1975.1.231. Painted in Arles in 1888, the double portrait depicts Augustine Roulin and her infant daughter, Marcelle.
While the painting is a central piece of the museum's holdings, the provided sources do not list specific exhibition histories or dates for this work, focusing instead on its acquisition, inventory status, and physical location within the institution.
Overview
Vincent van Gogh's 1888 oil painting, Madame Augustine Roulin with Baby, captures Augustine Roulin holding her infant daughter, Marcelle. Executed in Arles, France, this work presents a tender domestic moment. The artist's distinctive brushwork and vibrant palette are evident, depicting the figures with a directness characteristic of his portraits from this period.
This painting is one of several portraits Van Gogh created of the Roulin family during his stay in the city.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
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.
